DECEMBER 10: Heaven House Champs Brookfield

The Heaven House project is making wonderful strides. However, there is still much work and financial need to get the home completed.

We are 4 days away from an event to raise support for Heaven House...

· Please join us on Monday, December 14, and get caught up on the project.

· Bring friends and family.

WHEN: Monday, December 14, 5-10pm

WHERE: CHAMPPS Brookfield, 1240 S. Moorland Road

WHAT: Heaven House Benefit featuring:

· Ryan Grant of the Green Bay Packers (7-9pm)

· Silent Auction (all proceeds benefit Heaven House)

· Meet the O’Briens, our Heaven House family

· 15% of all food proceeds purchased between 5-10pm go to Heaven House

We look forward to seeing you!

We're in the home strech

Have you driven by the Heaven House site recently?!? Or better yet, have you been there to participate in some of the work being done? If you have, then you already know how much amazing progress has been made.

Updates, updates and more updates… First, some important updates:

The roof is complete and ready for shingles! The windows and doors were delivered and have been installed. WE Energies has installed the gas service a week early. Now, as soon as we have a basement floor, we will be able to have heat in the house. Rozga Plumbing is currently installing the water and sewer laterals. We are now entering the "mechanicals" part of the project.

Activity amounts and types will now increase at the site. We will still have some carpentry that will be done but in addition, there will be a plumbing crew and leader, an electrical crew and leader and a HVAC (heating and A/C) crew and leader all working together to get the house completed for the rough inspection. "Rough Inspection" is what needs to be done by the city before the insulation and drywall is installed in place. Once we pass rough inspection, we are in the "home stretch" of this project.

November 24

Heaven House received a substantial gift from the "Samaritan's Inn" non-profit. Their objective in giving this most generous gift was to assist the Heaven House Project in getting the Heaven House home closed up before the weather turns cold and snow flies. Because of this gift, the plan is exactly for this to happen with in the next 2 weeks. This was a much needed and timely gift. We thank the Lord for our friends at Samaritan's Inn.

Heaven House has electricity!

Good news! Dan O'Brien has let us know that We Energies called him to tell him the service on the new house is energized. Then Lee Sherwin let us know he has just been in the basement and he has turned on the GFI outlets and tested everything. So Heaven House officially has power!

Jeff Hurst told us that Lincoln Contractors Supply/Fabco Rents is donating the use of a 40 foot lift machine to place the trusses on top of the house! This machine will really speed up the work to complete the roof. They will have the machine on site on Friday. The only cost to us is the diesel fuel and trucking from the yard to the site (separate contractor). Jeff is planning to do the trusses on Saturday. If the weather is favorable, the place will really look like a house on Saturday evening!!!!

UPDATE 11/4/09

Some very exciting things are happening around the Heaven House Project right now. Thank you to everyone who came out to VIF for the appreciation party with the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday, October 21^st. What a fun evening! The NBA is giving the Heaven House Project a little national exposure with one of their commercials.

Here are some building updates … The floor trusses are on site. Construction on the second floor structure is complete as well as the garage floor. Thanks to Lee Sherwin for installing the 200 amp electrical service. We have received donations for wood flooring and a fireplace.

There are needs that need to be met to keep this project train chugging. We are in great need of brick layers. If that’s your area, or if you know someone with that skill, get in contact with Tom S. right away at swallowcreek@wi.rr.com. We are still seeking donations or final price quotes for plumbing, electrical and HVAC supplies and services. The second wave of donations needed are for insulation, drywall, wood trim, and interior doors.

Robin W. is in need of six teams to take on six bathrooms. For information on the tasks involved with this design/decorating challenge, contact Robin at Robin_W@sbcglobal.net.

A couple of shout-outs… Thanks to Greg Zimdahl for joining the Heaven House team! Greg will be working on creating a new, more user friendly web site. Also a big thanks to Gareth from Bodgey's who brought the crew 4 kinds of wings and all the fixings for lunch last Saturday.

HEAVEN HOUSE CHALLENGES

1) Matching Funds-If we can raise $8000 by 11/8 we will receive matching funds

2) Ryan Grant of the Green Bay Packer Challenge-anyone donating $1000 or more will receive an invite to a private party thrown by Ryan Grant.

We are half way to our $8000 challenge and there is still room for more at Ryan’s party, please help us spread the word!

If you haven’t been by the Heaven House site, you will want to drive by soon, many walls are up and should be fully enclosed over the next few weeks.

Don’t forget to check out the Heaven House Website at www.heavenhouse.org for latest and greatest news.

$8,000 by Nov 8th Challenge

An anonymous donor has challenged us to raise $8000 by November 8 and they will match our $8000. So spread the word to family and friends, and consider making a financial contribution to Heaven House yourself.

You can make donations on-line by going to www.heavenhouse.org and clicking the “Donate Now” logo, or make checks payable to Hometown Heroes/Heaven House and mail to 3285 N. Calhoun Rd, Brookfield, WI 53005.

Volunteers - October 20th

10/10 Challenge- We raised over $15,000 dollars during our 10/10 challenge, and thanks to our donor, that increases to $25,000. Donations are continuing to come in since that challenge, so word is spreading about the Heaven House project.

Volunteer Appreciation-Don’t forget The Milwaukee Bucks are coming to Victory International Fellowship tomorrow, Wednesday, October 21 at 5:30 pm, to show their support and offer appreciation for the Heaven House volunteers. Invite a friend to join you.

OCT 13- Calling all Carpenters!

The next two weeks at the Heaven House project site will be mainly devoted to carpentry work. Of the 200 people on my volunteer database only 12 are listed as skilled carpenters! IF you have carpentry skills please consider helping get this house framed, and bring your friends. We really want to finish this house by Christmas and we really need to complete the framing quickly. We are looking for help on this Thursday and Friday afternoons and on all day Saturday. The weather is supposed to be nice so please consider helping, we need carpenters now! For more information on how you can help, visit www.heavenhouse.org, email: heavenhouse1@gmail.com or call (262) 783-2900

10/6/09 Donation Challenge

An anonymous donor has issued us a special challenge. Every dollar donated to Heaven House in the next 10 days (Oct 3-12) will be matched up to $10,000. There is a potential for us to begin building on the foundation as a result of this contribution. If you are considering making a

financial donation to Heaven House now is the time, as your donation will be doubled if received in the next 10 days.

Ryan Grant, the running back for the Green Bay Packers also issued a challenge that anyone giving $1,000 or more to this project will receive an invitation to a Party hosted by Ryan . Reserve your spot at the party now, before space runs out!

You may donate online at http://www.htheroes.org/donate.html or make checks payable to Hometown Heroes/Heaven House and mail to Heaven House 3285 N. Calhoun Rd, Brookfield, WI 53005.

10/5/09 Check Us Out On TV

Look mom we're on TV!!!! Follow the links below to see Heaven House on TV and the a great photo slide show on the 620wtmj blog.

Video Clip
http://www.fox6now.com/news/witi-091003-heaven-house,0,7691737.story


Audio Clip/Slide Show
http://www.620wtmj.com/sports/billmichaels/63476307.html?blog=y

September 29th - Thank You

So much has happened in the last two weeks concerning the Heaven House project. First of all the Foundation was completed and we were blessed by having the Brock White Company donate the 2" foam we needed for the foundation. We also had Jim from Hillside Dampproofing furnish and apply the waterproofing coating to the foundation at no charge. We then had Eric Steinbrecker arrange to demonstrate a new foam installation gun from Lincoln Contractors Supply to install the 2" foam on the foundation. Then once our inspection was approved, Our friends Justin and Monty did the backfilling work. On Saturday the 26th, Jeff Hurst lead a crew that installed the foundation cap. This cap is the first floor structure of the house. This cap is very important to make the site safe so no one can fall into the basement. We will temporarily re-purpose the cap as our stage for the Foundation Celebration this Saturday October 3rd.

Much has happened away from the site too. Robin Walker has more Design Teams taking rooms in the house. On Sunday September 20, the World Harvest Community Church officially launched their involvement with the Heaven House project. They had the family there on the platform for both services and the church warmly received the family and the project. We are blessed to have World Harvest Community Church as another one of the church partners in the project. Last Saturday, with the help of World Harvest Community Church, the neighborhood canvasing event took place, we visited the Heaven House neighborhood, informed them of the Heaven House project and invited them to our Foundation Celebration on October 3rd. The Community Warehouse ministry in Milwaukee has also now stepped forward to partner with us in the project. They will be providing some of our building materials at no charge to the project! We also had an exciting donation of brick that is planned to be used on the front of the house around the front entrance. This will be a wonderful accent that will really dress up the front of the house. Now we just need to find some bricklayers to install the brick! Lastly, Brittany Helm has taken on the role of website manager. We now have a new webaddress and Brittany has done a wonderful job with improving the site. Another Brittany, Brittany Georgeson is now blogging on the website. The blog is our attempt to keep everyone updated with new developments as they happen. We still plan to have Heaven House updates like this that will try to keep everyone informed.

We want to invite all of you to join us at the Foundation Celebration October 3rd. The music will start at 2:30PM. We have a Program planned to start at 3PM and then after the program there will be more music until 5PM that evening. We have three bands planning to be there including the Worship team from Shepherd of the Hills Church and World Harvest Community Church. We also plan to have a refreshment tent there with drinks and popcorn. Please plan to join us, and bring some friends. Bring your lawn chair and enjoy hanging out with good people. Parking will be off site, you can find a map of the site and the parking on our new website at www.heavenhouse.org

September 22nd - Foundation Approved!

Update:
- We have an approved final inspection on the foundation.
- Becker Steel has furnished, delivered and installed the steel beams and posts in place.
- The foundation should be back filled by Friday. That means maybe we will have a crew there Saturday putting on the first floor!

Don't Forget to Checkout:
Our video now called "Heaven House Awaken2" on youtube


What’s Next?

Spread the word:
Pass this on to 10 people you know, or how about everyone you know?
Saturday, September 26th Community Canvassing. 9am – Noon. Meet at World Harvest Church (1500 S West Lane, New Berlin) at 9am. From 10 am – Noon we’ll pass out fliers in surrounding neighborhoods and to local businesses near the O’Brien home. Bring everyone you know. The more people the show up the more people we can tell.

Foundation Celebration:
Saturday, October 3rd at 3PM. This is an event to celebrate that the building of Heaven House has begun, foundation has been poured, and address what is needed to complete Heaven House. This will be at the Heaven House site so you can see the progress to date and meet the O’Brien’s while enjoying some refreshments and music.

DON’T MISS THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE PART OF THIS PROJECT- Go to www.heavenhouse.org for opportunities to get involved or to make a financial donation.

TAKE ACTION – TODAY – JOIN THE EFFORT – YOU WILL BE GLAD YOU DID!

September 17th - Foundation is Complete

Update:
The Heaven House foundation has been completed! Our next step is to prepare the foundation to be backfilled. This involves waterproofing, foam insulation and drainage system installed in place. Work on waterproofing is currently under way.

Thank You:
We’d like to give a special thanks to the great organization Brock White, on behalf of Julie, for donating all the 2" rigid insulation needed to complete the basement. Without their help, we could not backfill. Thank you Julie

What’s Next?

Construction:
Please join us on Saturday, September 19 from 7AM to 5PM (lunch will be served around 11:30). We will install the foam on the walls and the drainage system around the walls. If you can’t make it for the whole day, stop by for part of the day; the more people there to help the faster the project moves along. We plan on scheduling work days for next week too, but this will depend on how much we get done Saturday. When you show up remember to wear your yellow HHp t-shirt, and bring a shovel, work gloves, earplugs, work boots, utility knife and a pick axe.

Spread the word:
Pass this on to 10 people you know, or how about everyone you know?
Saturday, September 26th Community Canvassing. 9am – Noon. Meet at World Harvest Church (1500 S West Lane, New Berlin) at 9am. From 10 am – Noon we’ll pass out fliers in surrounding neighborhoods and to local businesses near the O’Brien home. Bring everyone you know. The more people the show up the more people we can tell.

Foundation Celebration:
Saturday, October 3rd at 3PM. This is an event to celebrate that the building of Heaven House has begun, foundation has been poured, and address what is needed to complete Heaven House. This will be at the Heaven House site so you can see the progress to date and meet the O’Brien’s while enjoying some refreshments and music.

DON’T MISS THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE PART OF THIS PROJECT- Go to www.heavenhouse.org for opportunities to get involved or to make a financial donation.

TAKE ACTION – TODAY – JOIN THE EFFORT – YOU WILL BE GLAD YOU DID!

August 25, 2009

Much has happened since our last update. We have completed our initial fundraisers. Everyone who attended the Outback Steakhouse luncheon/silent auction had a great time and bid on some amazing items.
Beginning in September, Chili’s in Brookfield and Chili’s in Oconomowoc will be giving 10% of sales to the Heaven House Project on Tuesday’s, Wednesday’s and Thursday’s. Vouchers are needed to take advantage of this offer. If you do not have a voucher, just mention to your waitress, that you want your order to benefit Heaven House.
A schedule has been put into place, and work is underway. Our goal is to have this project finished in time for the O’Brien’s to have Christmas dinner in their new home. So much needs to be done to ensure the success of this deadline. ~Terri

August 4, 2009

Hello everyone! There are so many exciting updates to share this week. Things are rapidly progressing, and there are many positive things to share. Pastor Andy Horn recently met up with the folks from Hometown Heroes. It was an “awesome meeting” according to Pastor Andy. He shared that they are very energized about this project. There is a Hometown Heroes special on Dateline (NBC) that will be airing right as we are gearing up. We will announce the date of this special when the specifics are made available. Heaven House will have some great national exposure through this.In the area of permits, we have two updates. First, the building permit has been approved! Second, we have obtained the permit necessary to tear down the garage… And not a moment too soon! Tom Schwalbach and a crew of volunteers were on site at the O’Brien’s Monday afternoon, and removed the garage. I have it on good authority that at the end of the day, there was nothing left but a swept slab of concrete. Now that the garage is out of the way, The Losic team will be able to do the stakeout. The stakeout marks the beginning of construction at the site. Losic Engineering has donated all of their services to the project.In the previous updates, we reported a need for silt fencing to be placed around the perimeter of the construction site. Pat Bruch from BPX has come on board to do the complete silt fencing. Once the stakeout is done and the silt fence is in place we will be ready to dig. Justin Niemyjski has offered to do the excavating for the project for free.A big thank you goes out to all those who have stepped forward to volunteer food and food services for the construction site. However, there is still a need for more volunteers. If you are able to donate food, gift certificates /money for grocery stores/restaurants, or if you are able to prepare and/or serve food, please contact Gary & Marge Meyer at gdjmeyer@msn.com.

July 23, 2009

A Heaven House Project meeting was held this past week on July 16th. Our meeting very appropriately and excitedly began under the cover of our newly acquired tent. Thanks to a few hard working volunteers, the tent was cleaned and standing tall for everyone at the meeting to get a good look at it!Some quick points of updated interest:* We have acquired the use of a jobsite trailer thanks to Paul Torweihe at ASI. This trailer is going to be used as much needed storage space with the option of office space as well.* Caleb Zovar and crew are removing the garage from the O'Brien property this week.* The volunteer agreement form is finished and ready for team leaders to distribute. If you have volunteered in any capacity, (or plan to), please contact your team leader for a form.* All bathroom fixtures for all seven bathrooms have been chosen, thanks to Lori O'Brien, Lori's mom, and Robin Walker.* An excavation crew is tentatively scheduled for the first week in August.The Bakers Square fundraiser on July 13th brought in $138.00. Chili's in Oconomowoc is now on board to participate in the "Pepper Profit Program." They are willing to donate 10% of sales on Tuesday's thru Thursday's for the months of August and September. Again, you must have a voucher to participate.We are still in need of certain site donations. Among those include a silt fence needed to surround the property and a port-a-potty. If you have access to either of these or know someone who does, please contact Tom Schwalbach at swallowcreek@wi.rr.com. We are also in need of volunteers with specific skills. If you are a plumber, or know of any plumbers willing to volunteer their services, please contact Tom. Chris Steiner is in need of a grant writer. Please contact Chris at Chrissteiner323@aol.com if you have grant writing experience. There are several other areas where volunteers and/or supplies are needed.

July 13, 2009

We have applied for the Building Permits! We are hoping to start excavating in a few weeks.Activity has started at the home site! Volunteers from Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church removed shrubs from the home site.Many people are stepping up to provide food and hospitality during the Heaven House project, but we still need many more, contact the Meyers at gdjmeyer@msn.com if you are willing. A big thank you to World Harvest Church for allowing us to use their refrigeration and storage, since they are so close by.Outback Steakhouse Luncheon and Auction, Saturday, August 15 at 12:30, Tickets are now on sale at $20.00 each. Contact VIF or Tammy Francour to purchase yours. There are only 175 seats available. We also need baskets for the silent auction. If you have any baskets you'd like to donate, call Tammy at 414-380-9014We have acquired a large tent for the job site at a fraction of the cost of a new one. Volunteers are still needed for fundraising efforts. Please contact Chris Steiner at Chrissteiner323@aol.com to volunteer.

May 28, 2009

We are picking up steam! We just got the final plans done and with that we can get our budget set, get our permits, set our schedule, etc…We hope to break ground within the month. We still have a need for someone to head up our Publicity & Communications Team and a Special Events Coordinator. Contact Trudy Torweihe at 262-783-2900 if you would like to head up either of these areas.We have a great fundraising team in place headed up by Chris Steiner. She would welcome and appreciate anyone that has a heart to help, and can be reached at Chrissteiner323@aol.com. If you would like to donate building supplies contact Dan Cypcar at dan-susiec@sbcglobal.net. The greatest thing that anyone can do for this project is pray; pray for wisdom, and pray for volunteers of all kinds, that this would truly be a community wide project.