Athens Area Habitat is in the Flagpole!

(check it out on p.21 or read the full article here)

Athens Area Habitat for Humanity's 21st Birthday Bash

w/ The Judies, Trances Arc, Velveteen Pink

Saturday, Aug. 8 at Tasty World Uptown

Very little is as effective a centerpiece to a successful birthday party than a righteous and flowing supply of cake. The Athens Area Habitat for Humanity, now in the midst of celebrating its 21st action-packed year of community service, has taken steps to get that party started, cake- and fun-wise. Both can be expected at its birthday bash at Tasty World on Saturday.

“We just want to celebrate and extend it to the community, and have everybody come and have a good time, and remember what we’re doing and why it’s important,” says Laura Dempsey, public outreach director for Athens Area Habitat for Humanity.

Cakes will come from local bakeries like Cecilia Villaveces Cakes and Creative Cookies and Creamery. The fun comes by way of Slush Fund Records’ presentation of Athens and Atlanta bands The Judies, Trances Arc and Velveteen Pink.

In its 21 years, Habitat has served 70 families in Clarke, Oconee and Oglethorpe counties with homes, according to Dempsey. And in the past year alone, Habitat’s ReStore, the Barber Street thrift store, prevented approximately 150 tons of material from getting cozy in landfills—a substantial jump from 2007’s 116 tons.

Further, Habitat instituted a number of new programs in the last year, like its ReHOUSE program (Recycling Home Owner Units Safely & Efficiently), in which volunteers work to erase residential decay, and its Brush with Kindness program, which seeks to restore neighborhoods on a small-projects basis.

“Our whole mission is built on community and partnerships and people coming together for a great cause,” says Dempsey. “Everything that we do is supported by the community. Without the support of all the organizations and business and volunteers, we couldn’t do what we do.”

One would be hard pressed to find a better reason to share birthday cake with the neighbors. Doors open at 9 p.m.

(Flagpole, by Valentina Tapia, 08/05/09)