According to Abraham Maslow, a psychologist who studied what a human needs to survive, there is a hierarchy of basic needs. The first of the needs is the physical survival needs:


Yes, shelter is one of the most basic needs a human has. Without adequate and safe shelter, all other concerns tend to take a backseat. This is where Two Rivers Habitat for Humanity comes in. They have been in existence since 1990, and joined with Habitat for Humanity Steele-Waseca, to now serve Steele, Waseca, Dodge, Olmsted, and Wabasha Counties. With a bigger organization, more people can be helped to get into safe and stable housing.

We had Ken Quattrin, the Marketing and Communications Specialist, come in for our Talk of the Town program, and he shared some very good information about Two Rivers Habitat. He said that, "A stable home is the foundation for a stable life." How true are those words. The Claremont build has been completed and the home dedication has been scheduled. Unfortunately, they had to reschedule it due to the Winter Storm this weekend, but, it will be dedicated next week. They are looking to do a build in Owatonna in 2020, the selection process for the family is moving along.

Not only do they build new homes, they also do critical needed repairs to keep the home safe. There is a home in Medford that they are working on, a home in Owatonna where they were able to make the home safer for the resident by installing a ramp, and there is a home in Lake City that they are working on.

In New Richland they are working to get a home updated, as a recycled home. This was a habitat house, the prior owners moved into new housing, so the house came back to Two Rivers and they are "recycling" it to another family. So, you can see that it is more than just building new homes.

Families have to put in sweat equity in the homes, they are helping to build them along side the volunteers, they need to put in 200 hours of work, at least. And the houses are not given away. The families have to qualify through a process, and when selected, they are given a mortgage when they get the keys. This is a hand-up, not a hand-out.

Some of the stats are very eye-opening:

  • 90% of Homeowners said they feel better about their children's future
  • 64% feel their children's study habits improved after moving into their Habitat home
  • In 92% of the homes, at least one adult started, completed, or plans to start higher education or programs after moving in

Those stats alone show that having a stable home means you can focus on the other things now that your most basic need, shelter, has been met.

You can follow Two Rivers Habitat for Humanity on Facebook, to get their most updated news, volunteer opportunities, and see what fun events they have coming up.

Enter your number to get our free mobile app