FW: blog

 

so today has been an interesting day...as i write from our new rochelle habitat office,  where yesterday there was a melee on Main street. and i write about my friends the police..who i am a strong advocate about being on walking beats on main streets...across the county.I come from a long line of police (theres something unusual right..Irish American cops) who walked the beat in many Massachusetts neighborhoods and Main Streets....I also want to know that many police in our communities cannot afford to live easily in Westchester in communities where they protect us... Combined with this we work on downtowns being revitalized and all downtowns..putting people on main streets in housing situations, from condos to avalon rentals to decrease traffic, to increase business opportunities for small business and to enhance our world..

so heres to walking police on main streets our friends, as part of enhancing downtown communities.. During the years i have been part of Main Street Historic Preservation trust committees, held business breakfasts regularly, helped with revitalization committees, been chairs of sidewalk sales and events...

a revitalized Main street is one protected with walking police, home ownership for long term stake holders and tax payers dollars in condos and coops, affordable primarily and luxury and activity for the residents on Main and for others throughout the city to attend...heres to downtowns with real affordable opportunities, with safe Main streets and with revitalized communities across all of westchester not just new rochelle...

We also need City Hall on Main streets and police precincts to help bring back people to the heart of every community.....more to follow...

along with that safe communities are ones that engage its youth in after school activities, have home ownership in neighborhoods, who in effect as taxpayers and lifelong stakeholders, protect the neighborhood and fight for their rights..That is why people when they know habitat comes into a neighborhood will create safety, increased positive activity and help to stabilize turnover neighborhoods in downtowns and in homeowner neighborhoods.....i love community, i love habitat, i love our homeowners and i love that we will be part of your neighborhood someday....helping to make it safe...stay tuned for Habitat's Main Street condo proposal (affordable) in the future...I need like the Psalmist to give thanks to God today for protecting myself and my co Main street businessowners and customers and residents in New Rochelle for not letting us get hurt, and pray for the two who got stabbed on Main Street in New Rochelle and our youth...God bless, jjk

 

FW: blog

 

The nite before last a parent calls me, so gladyou are building the homes in our area...what a great gift to hear from her...so many when they see habitat in a neighborhood ae excited.. from my first days in a Paterson NJ neighborhood, where drug dealers were not happy and then kicked out of an Eastside neighborhood, and neighbors and volunteers gathered every Sat and often sundays to sit on a porch..with families..neighborhoods get transformed in many ways...i have seen in in S. Central Los Angeles, Sonsonate El Salvador, El Florida, Tecate, Mexico; the Lower East Side of New York, e. 6th Street and avenue C....

North Chicago...Toronto, Glencairn Belfast Northen Ireland and many many more neighborhoods, ihave visited like W. Philly....What an honor to be part of the transformation of neighborhoods...Again the motivation is the love of the one God that protects, like the Psalmist says if you have God in your heart, and for habitat, a hammer in your hand...not as a weapon, but maybe a weapon of love.. an instrument of change, a tool of transformation...even in New Orleans...on Carrolton Avenue..and more...

instruments of love and change, can you be that in your work today, place of business, school, in your neighborhood for the better...as I go in life, sometimes I feel that it is getting harder and harder for politcs to really work. to really effect change quickly...interests, self serving, PACS, over regulated legislative processes, create lengthy dialogues and diatribes of indifference gobblydigook and lack of transformation....There are many great politicians..dont get me wrong, but the processes created by those who live to legislate often slow up any good that can be done by admirable straightshooting politicians..let us pray for politicians today if we can...

That is why i love faith in action..Yesterday another Temple called me, can we come out and help ...soon, a company too, when when can we come, citibank,30 strong next week Sullivan and Cromwell 70 strong Sat. IBM legal 30 strong Friday and today Homeside Insurance all building.. and the list goe on and on..

Get your church, your neighborhood, your school, your company your firm, your family, yourself involved today with Transformation...and may the one God of all religions that loves us the same protect and guide your every step today...with gratitude, JJK

FW: blog

 

a long but successful weekend no question.. we are grateful for what has happened with so many helping this weekend..important..where people have been volunteering from yonkers to bedford..made a community garden, prepared a site, put in windows, put on a roof, helped fix a home..and more...all of this is profound for us in the future hope of helping so many make it so many to move ahead in society with a home.. Yesterday Sullivan and Cromwell stepped up working so hard in our Purser place neighborhood, transforming homes a garden and our site...thanks to Marlene, and Rich and the whole team there...what a great day..

Then Bedford Presbyterian church, st Mathews, and many more were there helping us move along with so much of the work on our Bedford homes..today Byram Hills and a high school youth group join in.

and this week we put up our homes on Purser place with home ownership and plans for a multi purpose park..which will be amazing for all we do for that neighborhood and families.

An article in the paper today discusses rentals for teachers in the Bronx, a great idea with some funding by the Federation of Teachers...however i would really love to see those condos or coops so teachers from the get go would be getting equity into their payment, getting some shares of success into their living situation. I appreciate the low rentals...but lets make it permanent equity for teachers who help change the course of our kids lives and inspire in so many ways.

Also today a benefit for us at teh Classic and collectible Car show this morning in Croton, by teh Rotary in conjunction with the Hot Rod Hotel....congratulations  to Louie Lanza and the work he is doing there, and the support of the Rotary there.

Last this week, tomorrow is the anniversary of the floods of Westchester a major disaster, let us remember all those who suffered...the more than 2000 homes that were affected and the people whose lives were so upended...we still work on homes in Mamoroneck now and need your help. a carnival for Habitat from 230-430 this week on October 19th occurs and a nite at Commerce Bank to help raise support for our work there occurs on Nov 7th..join us...we need your help..with all we say and do let us give Thanks! Jim Killoran

FW: blog

 

Sat across the country..sat people from all over are helping in ways that people cant even imagine.. people are working all over, helping building moving families in.. seeing what we can do to assist in the world moving ahead, helping so many have homes..

 

Today we work in Bedford, in Rye in Peekskill, in New Rochelle, in all different sites as of this time..

We are almost ready to start in Yonkers..there small items will help us move the project and we are there.. An elderly gentleman calls and he is looking for us to help with a brush with kindness project..can you help me.. more and more Brush with kindness projects come to us, asking for our help..asking for us to be able to help them on the sites..on their homes....so many in need, another couple looks for us to assist them as they were burned out of their home...and daily new families come in asking for help from us for their American Dream...

 

Another Habitat Sat..before Columbus Day weekend..we need your help now...Join us...God bless you,Columbus day weekend our Italian American friends, and God bless America and this world, through Habitat eyes....EVERYONE A HOME!

FW: BLOG

 

Easy like Sunday morning,

 no question, easy like Sunday morning...Columbus day weekend. many things go on....

yesterday our volunteer base was down overall for the weeeknd..next holiday weekend we will be pushing ahead for so much..a great time..

 

Today i reflect on the ANNIVERSARY OF THE FLOOD OF APRIL 15TH TILL NOW...what have we done, what did we accomplish.. where do we go from here...how do we protect our world for our grandkids for our future, for our environment, for affordable homes..

so much to think about..an article coming out in the Journal news hilites, what is going on, what has happened and immediate thoughts...for the future, what recommendations...can we make to fix rivers..

Mamoroneck and White Plains, New Rochelle and Bronxville and Yonkers, what can be done..

what can do to help protect families, we may be designing a flood free home...and are working with different groups to come up with this recommendation..we are doing much to protect the environemnt, make homes water resistant and keep the heat on everyone to make it a dryer world for us all...

todays summer weather in the middle of fall, reminds us that anything can happen, 80 degres on October 4th...reminds me of the year 911 occurred, dec 1 we were outside in shorts...

 

anyway easy like Sunday morning, pray if you can no matter what faith for our success and if you can make a donation today to us, we need it! God bless, jjk

FW: blog

 

Columbus day the celebration of america..Italian heirtage, Spanish heritage..everyones heritage..

today on  Good Morning America the show was from Mexico...with the show talking about the number of Spanish in this country, and the number of people who want to be here...so many a great country we live in..

what world are we creating here, a world of renters, or homeowners, a world of diverse immigrants and citizens who dream of having a home..out of reach, lets hopenot, that is our mission, to help dreams be realized for all Americans..and for 200 other countries as well..Today in New Orleans countries are represented in habitat affiliates, for a conference...the conference to share ideas, and help affiliates learn and help dreams come true for those across the world...may it be a blessed conference..and may you have the dream of home ownership....and if you already do, please help us help others accomplish this dream..

God Bless, jjk.

FW: blog

 

Yesterday I spoke with Rabbi Wohl and Anu from the Rotary service club, doing great things in their own ways in New Rochelle..both predicated in their mission to service....this morning we have a conference call about our Bedford weekend ...coming up this weekend..we have so many joining us this week in building..from Sullivan and Crowmell to IBMs legal team to St. Mathews Episcopal church to the J Teen group which did a great job yesterday in Mamoroneck to high schools and many many more..all have come to help in the spirit of Service or rather the Spirit of Service...the motivation of habitat is clearly one from the Ruah, from the hebrew word of the Spirit and a Spirit of Service..an early morning call from Henry Rivera of Living Transformation interrupts this blog...jim can you get me a mason to help us at the flock...to help the guys where they live..they need workon the house..also the meeting today is at 530 about the fair on Lawrence street, a Street where three people got killed these last couple of years..and we pray the Spirit of God takes over with volunteers, habitat grondworks, the city, Living transformation and more...

we will help with a rehab of a street cafe there for kids, like we helped rehab the food pantry there for the many who need help and it came out beaitiful... i have seen over the years, the Spirit of God transform neighborhoods communities, kick out drug dealers, help rise up beautiful homes and homeowners and neighborhood gardens and neighborhood areas together in a great way...and also transform volunteer lives...so as we move into one of our busiest weeks ever, i say thank you, whether you believe in the Spirit of the one God that  unites us all to join together, Chrsitian Muslim, Hindi and more and people of faith and no faith, all together in Service...may your life today be transformed in a special way as you give to someone who crosses your path today...jjk

FW: BLOG

 

HI AND BLESSINGS TO ALL THIS MORNING.

LORD WHO SHALL ABIDE IN  THEY TABERNACLE? WHO SHALL DWELL IN THY HOLY HILL

hE THAT WALKETH UPRIGHTLY AND WORKETH RIGHTEOUSNESS AND SPEAKTH THE TRUTH IN HIS HEART.

HE THAT BACKBITETH NOT WITH TONGUE, NOR DO EVIL TO HIS NEIGHBOR...

 

THE PSALMIST WROTE THIS, A PSALM OF DAVID..15, THAT TALKS ABOUT RESPECTING NEIGHBORS..WORKING TOGETHER, AND HELPING ONE ANOTHER AS PRAISE TO THE LORD..

 

I AM HONORED THAT WE HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH OUR NEIGHBORDS IN GOOD FAITH..AND EXCITED THAT IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD ON PEARLS..A NEW MULTI PURPOSE PARK WILL BE ANNOUNCED, THAT FIVE HOMES HAVE BEEN WORKED ON, AND THAT 6 MORE HOMES WILL GO UP.. NO QUESTION..

 

THIS EXCITING ENDEAVOR WILL INCLUDE HELPING PEOPLE TO HAVE HOMES, A PLACE TO PLAY AND A SAFE PLACE FOR OUR KIDS TO LIVE..WITH KICKING OUT DRUG DEALERS, USE OF CRACK AND OTHER DRUGS AND CREATING ANEW WITH OUR NEIGHBORS A  GREAT COMMUNITY..

 

A PARENT CALLED ME FROM PEARLS ABOUT 930...LAST NITE..JIM WANTED TO SAY I BELIEVE THAT YOU ARE DOING WHAT IS CORRECT...AND GLAD THAT THE CRACK AND DRUG VIALS IN THE AISLE NEXT TO THE SCHOOL WILL GO AWAY AND YOUR FAMILIES WILL HELP KEEP AN EYE OVER THE HOMES...AND YOUR VOLUNTEERS WILL HELP KEEP UP THE AREA....WHEN THIS PARENT WAS ABLE TO SEE THE PLAN WE HAD OFFERED FROM DAY ONE...THEY WERE EXCITED TO KNOW THAT THERE WILL BE ONE HUNDRED YARD PLUS LONG MULTI PURPOSE FIELD OPPOSITE OUR HOMES...

 

WORKING WITH MY BOARD OF DIRECTORS...WHO  I THANK, WE TRULY BELIEVE THIS IS THE BEST FOR ALL THE NEIGHBORHOOD, FOR OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.. PEOPLE DISAGREE..SOME, A FEW, BUT WE ARE GLAD THEIR KIDS WILL HAVE A SAFE PLACE TO PLAY NOW AS WELL.

 

TODAY I MEET AT A HOME WE STILL REHAB ON VAN RANDST IN MAMORONECK THE SIX MONTH ANNIVERSARY.....ONE HUNDRED HOMES...200,000 PLUS DOLLARS OF SUPPLIES MORE THAN 2500 VOLUNTEERS SINCE APRIL 21...ON APRIL 15TH THE FLOOD HIT, AND THE REST IS HISTORY...

LIKE NEW ORLEANS...WE WENT IN, WE HELPED WE GUTTED MOLDED WALLS SHEETROCKED PAINTED, AND BROUGHT HOPE...LIKE NEW ORLEANS THE WORK IS NOT COMPLETE YET...WE HAVE ONLY BEGUN WHAT WE CAN BE DOING IN COMMUNITIES, WITH ALL OF OUR NEIGHBORS...

 

I AM BLESSED BY THE LORD AND EXCITED FOR ALL OF YOU , THAT HABITAT IS HERE IN WESTCHESTER, THAT YOU TOOK THE TIME TO READ THIS AND PRAY FOR YOUR WELL BEING...

WE CONTINUE TO NEED YOU RSUPPORT AND PRAYERS, THE EXCITEMENT IS BUILDING..

JJK

FW: habitat blog

 

Hi to all,

 

We have been doing amazing things here. the golf event went great again. Thanks to First American Title, Joe French, Anthony Iovine, Brian Rachal, Ken Arndt and everyone who helped and also thank you God for great weather again.

 

Nickels for Nails...again..another school contacts me, we will raise support for you, we will do this...

we will help get change places in schools, train stations, etc..EVERYONE A HOME..everyone doing something helps us get it done.. thanks Pelham Middle Schools for entertaining this..

 

Another call yesterday comes from a donor and investment cfo who calls and says Jim, we want you to help come on our foundation board, to help recommend where we can give money locally to different causes..I was honored and blessed to know i can help other groups with input as well as our work at Habitat, more to follow..

 

 

Today my radio show at 9am covers local community info as well as announcing an Octoberfest event on the 28th to help us with our homes in New Rochelle...

 

This morning I meet with Sandy annabi and Mayor Amicone, both supporters..and yesterday more parents wrote to us saying , Jim your homes along with a 100 yard park is the best thing for our neighborhood in Yonkers..Lets get the homes and the Park done now, let us raise another neighborhood together in hands hearts hammers and hope.. and make it green and great for the school children and our neighbors on Purser Place...

 

In all we do and say like the Pslamist says, Let us Give Thanks....Jim Killoran

FW: blog

 

hi to all.

We wake up we move around, we shuffle off to work sometime aimlessly sometime with great purpose, sometimes wondering why...many in the world dont wake up with food, shelter or clothing...a homeless man walked into my office the other day, needing help...

and then families..families live on the edge..real estate costs are the highest part of their life..highest part of their need, most critical fora roof over their head...so many move around quickly...

 

what can we do, we do we do, how do we make it work..can the real estate community become a little less greedy, a little more empathetic or do we wait for a subprime mortgage crisis for them to see the lite...do we fight every affordable housing project...for other things...till we are blue in the face, while taxes keep going up on the backs of free rides to multi millionaires...like i have said, i love welath..love it..love to see people..have not have niot.....and for habitat the mission is lifting up those on the bottom and middle ladder of society into the wealth of home ownership...we pay taxes immediately while we are building here, a strategy costing us thousand to make this happen..Economically taxes being paid by a lot of small homeowners add up..make up schools funding, stabilize communities and then

 

Golf tournamenet, today, for habitat at Siwanoy...not that is a community of great weatlh..thanks to First American Title for its sponsorship..I used to play golf with my dad, my high school buds and even won the title on the states with the team st St. Joephs college in Maine,...a fun sport..takes a long time for me to play today, due to work commitments...but we have  reliable groups made up of companies such as Sperry Van Ness and others that help us all the time.. Thank  you....we have so many that are now stepping up the plate to help us.. we have only just begun this exciting journey of helping to create wealth for the many who need it...

 

As we get closer and closer to our 20th anniversary of 2008 i am blessed to have so many realize that a simple decent home is not a bad thing in Westchester but one that all deserve.. God Bless you  jjk