Columbus
Global Village
Team

Community Connections

ReStore

Columbus, Ohio
Photo by Dave Bezaire

Susi's creativity is reflected in many "firsts" as a volunteer fundraiser and program developer for Habitat for Humanity–MidOhio. In 1995, she secured a 10-year donation of a 10,000 sq. ft. building and convinced the board to develop Ohio's first ReStore, which has grown into a $1.2 million funding source in 2010. In 1992, she co-chaired Ohio's first Women's Build.

In the 1995, Susi and her friend Evy Locklin created the Adopt-A-House program to assemble unique partnerships of churches and corporations that have funded and built over 100 houses.

In 2000, while acting as Interim Executive Director for 8 months, Susi partnered with a commercial house builder to help defray development costs and created the first "blended" neighborhood, mixing Habitat families with conventional home buyers.

Bakwena chief
Molepolole, Botswana
Photo by Susi Havens-Bezaire

Susi's passion for advocacy extends overseas as well. Tribal and community leaders in places like Molepolole, Botswana and Awaso, Ghana have attended their first Habitat dedications at her invitation.

House Lead

House move

Columbus, Ohio
Photo by Dave Bezaire

One of Dave's favorite thrills is to partner with a family and hundreds of other volunteers to build a house from beginning to end. As the House Lead on twelve homes to-date, he has been taught many skills and techniques for framing, siding, drywall, vinyl & laminate flooring, painting and finish carpentry.

Houses led to-date include:

• Parker Home (Duxberry 2014)
• Jay Home (Fifth 2012)
• Elmi Home (Willow Run Avenue 2011)
• John G. McCoy Project (McCoy Circle 2008)
• Thompson-Weiler Project (Schultz 2007)
• Ohio State Fair 2005 (Grasmere 2005)
• Building on a Dream (Harvard 2004)
• Nationwide Insurance Company (Hanford Street 2003)
• Ohio State Fair 2003 (Atwood Terrace 2003)
• Nationwide Insurance Company (Parkwood Street 2002)
• Ohio State Fair 2001 (Seventeenth Avenue 2001)
• Building on Faith 2000 (Aberdeen Avenue 2000)

On the road

Dave & Susi have worked with Habitat for Humanity in a number of other cities in the U.S.A. including: Tucson 2012 & 2010, Bay St. Louis 2009, and Detroit 2005.