Three decades ago, George H. W. Bush was elected president.
A gallon of gas cost less than a dollar. If you went to see “Die Hard,” “Rain
Man” or “A Fish Called Wanda,” your movie ticket cost $3.50. The median price of
an existing home was $90,600 and the average annual income was about $24,000. And
in 1988, Habitat for Humanity Capital District was founded as an independent
affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International.
On Wednesday, May 15, the Albany Roundtable will welcome Christine
Schudde, Executive Director of Habitat for Humanity Capital District to
discuss “Affordable Housing as a tool for Neighborhood Revitalization” at the Albany Roundtable’s Annual Meeting.
The event is open to the
public and will be held at the University
Club of Albany, 141 Washington Avenue at Dove Street. The meeting will
take place from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. and will feature a social hour
with cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, a short update on the Albany Roundtable
Civic Luncheon Series, the presentation of the Good Patroon Award, the
presentation the Albany Roundtable Scholarship for Civic Leadership, and a discussion
of Habitat for Humanity’s efforts to promote neighborhood revitalization. Tickets
are $40 and include light fare and open bar.
Driven by the vision that
everyone needs a decent place to live, Habitat for Humanity International began
in 1976 as a grassroots effort on a community farm in southern Georgia. The
farm’s commitment to racial justice, complete equality and shared generosity
laid the foundation for Habitat’s model of partnership housing. Habitat has
since grown to become a global nonprofit housing leader.
Habitat welcomes people
from all walks of life to partner in serving families in need and creating a
better community for everyone. Habitat for Humanity affiliates are local
Habitat for Humanity organizations that act in partnership with and on behalf
of Habitat for Humanity International. Each Habitat affiliate coordinates all aspects
of Habitat home building in its area.
Habitat for Humanity
Capital District’s service area includes Albany, Rensselaer and Southern
Saratoga counties, where they have built over 130 homes in partnership with
local families.
“The Albany Roundtable
has fostered civic engagement across disciplines – and over lunch – since it
was founded in 1979,” said Christopher Burke, president of the all-volunteer
501c3 corporation. “We convene our monthly luncheon meetings so people
from around the region and from all walks of life can gather to hear speakers
with diverse viewpoints on timely subjects. We hope our annual meeting’s speaker
will inspire us to create strong, productive and mutually-beneficial
partnerships with like-minded organizations in service of a common vision – a
community where everyone has a decent place to live.”
The Albany Roundtable’s previous
Visiting Speakers have included Daniel D’Oca (The Arsenal of Exclusion & Inclusion); Dr. Larry Paska, executive
director of the National Council for the Social Studies; Matt
Tomasulo, “Chief Instigator” behind Walk [Your City]; Dr. Mindy Thompson
Fullilove, author of Urban Alchemy:
Finding Joy in America’s Sorted Out Cities; Kaid Benfield (People
Habitat: 25 Ways to Think About Greener, Healthier Cities); Jeff Speck (Walkable City); John Norquist (CEO, Congress
for the New Urbanism); Janet Flammang (The
Taste for Civilization); Colin Beavan (No
Impact Man), Jaime Correa (planner, architect and professor at the
University of Miami) and others.
Tickets
for the reception must be purchased by Friday, May 10. For more information, visit www.albanyroundtable.com, email albanyroundtable@gmail.com or
call 518-992-5360.
