The Festival of Trees, co-sponsored by Habitat for Humanity of Benzie County  and the Benzie Area Historical Museum will be held Thanksgiving Weekend at the Historical Museum.  Festival hours are:

Friday November 26 

 Saturday November 27

12:00 pm – 8:00 pm

Sunday, November 28 – 12:00pm – 4:00pm

A silent auction of decorated trees and wreaths done by individuals, civic groups and schools will conclude at 4:00 pm Sunday.  The museum has special displays including World War 2 era “Home for the Holidays”.  This is the 9th year of the Festival and it has become a tradition for Benzie County as well as a valuable fundraiser for Habitat. 

The ReStore announces their new hours for the winter.  They will be open 10-6 Friday and Saturday.  Sales and donations have been very good this fall.  With the colder weather, store hours have been reduced to conserve energy costs.  A great selection of items is on hand, so please stop in and check us out! 

Blaine Christian Church, located at the corner of Joyfield and Putney Road, is having a Chicken Barbecue on Saturday, October 9th from 4:30 to 7:00 pm. The cost is $10 for the dinner that includes barbecue chicken, baked potato, coleslaw, biscuits, dessert and beverage. Takeout is available and children 10 and under eat free. All proceeds benefit the work of Habitat for Humanity of Benzie County with additional funds provided by Thrivent Financial. For more information please contact the church at 352-5977. A home is currently under construction in Honor for the Dawe family.

It’s September and time for the Dan Straubel Memorial Golf Outing, sponsored by Habitat for Humanity of Benzie County and the Benzie County Ministerial Association with support from the NorthwestMichigan Chapter of Thrivent Financial.  Dan Straubel was an outstanding volunteer who passed away several years ago and we honor him by naming our annual golf outing in his memory.

The date is Sunday, September 19 at Mistwood Golf Course in Lake Ann.  The cost is $65 per person, the same as the past two years, and includes 18 holes of golf with a shared cart, pizza and pop at the start of the scramble and a barbeque dinner following.  Team awards, magic string and prizes are part of the fun.

Golfers are needed as the date approaches so please join in for a great day of golf, knowing that you are supporting our biggest fundraiser of the year.  Registration forms can be printed by going below to the post about the Dan Straubel Golf Outing and clicking where indicated.

Trinity Lutheran Church reports that $1488 was raised for Habitat from their annual Broiled Trout Dinner held recently.  Many thanks to the men of the church for their hard work and delicious dinner! 

A Ground Blessing will be held Wednesday, September 8 at 6pm for the Dawe family in Honor.  All are invited to join them with a brief service and refreshments after.  This is a joyous occasion as we celebrate the beginnings of another home. The site is located on Deadstream Road, the south side, just one home east of Indian Hill Road.   The hole has been dug and again this year the Career Tech students of the the Traverse Bay Area Intermediate School District will build the home during their school year which starts after Labor Day.  The Career Tech students constructed a  Habitat home in Thompsonville during the 2009-10 school year and the Melody Rust family moved in in August.  A home dedication was held for the Rust family the end of July. 

Put Saturday, September 25th on your calendar for the 11th Annual Spaghetti Dinner put on by the Frankfort United Methodist Church to benefit Habitat here in Benzie County.  The time is 4:30 – 7:00 pm.  The menu features a generous portion  of spaghetti, salad, roll, dessert and beverage.  Free will donations are accepted and matching funds will be provided by Thrivent Financial for Lutherans.

Annual Fish Broil at Frankfort Lutheran Church, 955 James St.  on Friday July 30th from 4:30 until 7:30pm. Grilled lake trout, baked potato, salad bar, roll and pie. Adults $15, children 12 and under $8. Proceeds go to HFH of Benzie County. Support comes from Thrivent Financial for Lutherans.

The Concert on the Hill featuring Miriam Pico and David Chown on June 27th at St. Andrews Presbyterian Church netted $2656 for Habitat here in Benzie County.  Over 150 people attended the concert and gave generously.  Reviews of the concert of jazz and pop singing and piano were very positive.  Thanks again to all who worked to make this fundraiser a success!

ReStore manager Bob Emmons reports brisk sales on opening day and donations are steadily coming in. As word spreads of the opening, people are stopping by to see what the ReStore offers. As donations come in, what we have to offer changes daily.

Volunteers are excited to be working at the ReStore and many more are needed to make the ReStore a continued success. Watch this space to learn about new items being offered and ReStore news. Donations are needed to keep the ReStore well stocked for our customers.

“NEED IT? WE GOT IT!” “GOT IT? WE NEED IT!”

The ReStore opens for business on Wednesday, June 2! Store hours are Wed.-Sat. 10-6.  The store is located at 13998 Honor Highway (US 31), just 3 miles east of Honor at Haze Road. Telephone # is 325-7750.  ReStores are outlets that accept donated goods for resale to the public at a fraction of the retail price.  All profits generated from the ReStore are used to fund the efforts of our local Habitat affiliate.  Donations are being accepted for construction materials, appliances, furniture, kitchen and bath fixtures, cabinets, light fixtures and ceiling fans, flooring and tools.  Donations are tax deductible and free pick-up is available.  Come check us out and help build homes in Benzie County.