12/20/09 La Pine

Good news for Newberry Habitat for Humanity, as the non-profit will be able to build an additional house next year. It has been awarded over $78,000 from Thrivent Financial for Lutherans. The southern Deschutes county branch builds in La Pine. It says the money is enough to build an extra low-income home in the area over the next year.

"We have a twelve lot development going in right now, and this will allow us to build three homes next year, instead of the one to two that we normally build, and it's an area that very desperately needs portable housing right now," says Randy Heise, Executive Director of Newberry Habitat for Humanity.

As part of a national alliance, Thrivent Financial for Lutherans is contributing more than 13 million dollars to Habitat for Humanity. The Newberry branch is one of eight selected affiliates. Construction on the homes in La Pine is expected to begin in April.