Challenges, happenings, opportunities with Habitat
To the editor:
On Sept. 15 the Brown County Inn graciously hosted a “Giving Dinner” to support the future of Brown County Indiana Habitat for Humanity.
This event was arranged by the Brown County Community Foundation (BCCF) as part of its mission to raise awareness and funding for nonprofits. The evening event experienced beautiful weather under the inn’s open-air tent and next to its wonderful flower garden.
Over 80 individuals enjoyed an evening of great food prepared by Executive Chef Dietrich Gosser, live music and the company of Habitat supporters.
Maddison Miller, CEO of BCCF, welcomed the guests and informed them of general statistics concerning affordable housing, citing that three out of four of our state’s lowest-income households spend more than half of their income on housing. She emphasized the profound lack of safe and affordable housing for those living in Brown County.
Erin Kirchhofer, executive director of BC Habitat, shared Habitat’s vision: a community where everyone has a decent place to live.
To that end, the organization enters into a partnership with families to build a home based on their level of need, sweat equity and ability to repay a mortgage to BC Habitat.
Andrea Replogle, president and treasurer and Erika Rudd of BC Habitat, described the past successes of Habitat and the major new challenges of expanding the organizations’ capacity by raising $300,000 in two years and building three houses in 2023. Long term goals, including a ReStore, geographical expansion and growing the Brush with Kindness program may also be part of capacity improvement. They emphasized the most urgent, immediate need is for affordable land on which to build homes, preferably with existing access to utilities.
Currently, BC Habitat’s HOME grant, awarded in October by the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority, will offset some costs for building a home next year for the already chosen family of eight. In addition, due in part to the generosity of donors, many of whom gave the night of the dinner event, one small lot has been located for Home No. 2 with hopes of soon acquiring more building sites. The next challenges are to find excavating services, contractors, volunteers, and a paid construction manager for the projects that are scheduled to begin no later than April 2023.
If interested in becoming involved with BC Habitat, or donating to their mission, more information can be found at www.browncountyhabitat.org or by calling 812.988.4926 or stopping by the office at 646 Memorial Drive, Nashville, IN and speaking with Habitat’s executive director, Erin.
Sue Fisher, Vice President Brown County Habitat for Humanity
Donations needed for children’s auction
To the editor:
The 45th annual Brown County Children’s Auction is just a few weeks away and we are still in need of donations from local merchants, artists, craftsmen, and individuals that care about helping the children in our community. We know that your time and money are important and that there are many other non profits seeking your donations as well as us. Please remember that all money that we raise from your donations will be used to buy clothes for children in Brown County for Christmas. Items can be dropped off at Out of the Ordinary or by calling 812-320-2601 to arrange pick up. Cash donations can be made directly to our account at PNC Bank. It does take a village to make this event successful!
Please note that the mission of the Brown County Children’s Fund is to provide clothing and essentials to children in need in Brown County. Please call your school if you need assistance. All of the schools have forms to sign up your kids to receive clothing from our fund. If you are home schooling, you can go to the closest school office and sign up your child or you can call 812 320 2601 and sign up directly. The deadline is quickly approaching so sign up now!
The best thing you can do to support us is to come to our Auction! Friday, Dec. 2, starting at 6:00 p.m. at The Brown County Inn! This year we will also have an online auction for several really cool items. The online auction starts Nov. 18 and will run through Dec. 2 at noon. The link to access our online auction is https://app.galabid.com/bcca2022. (You can also see all the items that will be at our live auction too, though you won’t be able to bid on them.)
Carol Birkemeier, Vice President, Brown County Children’s Fund
Thank you for election support
To the editor:
Congratulations to all the Brown County School Board winners: Carol, Vicki and Doug! I appreciate all the candidates, successful or not, for running a clean and respectful race.
For those that financially supported my campaign, allowed me to place a sign in your yard, or told friends and neighbors about my candidacy, I deeply appreciate your support and endorsement.
Most of all, to Brown County residents that voted Bohbrink, thank you. I am humbled by the outpouring of support and confidence you had in me. We may not have won this election, but Team Bohbrink is not finished. This has been an enlightening and educational experience for the Bohbrink family. Yes, my name was on the ballot, but we are an all-in family. To Brent, Averi and Owen, thank you for helping me run and for always having my back.
I am still a parent and will continue to be an active community volunteer. I am and will continue to be an advocate for the students and teachers in Brown County. Brown County, I can assure you haven’t seen the last of Bohbrink for School Board!
Jenise Bohbrink, Brown County School Board candidate
Thanks and thoughts to Brown County community
To the editor:
Bless you Sam Dryfoose, I will miss our conversations about school, Brown County, our husbands, our history, life! I dearly hoped that you went on to your next journey in peace and pain-free, running through the hills and valleys in the sky.
Thank you, voters, for your time, thoughts and votes on Tuesday (Election Day) and reappointing me onto the school board. It is an honor to serve and I will continue to do y best for our students, staff and teachers. Education is very important and necessary to grow new doctors, nurses, physical therapists, electricians, heat and refrigeration service people, plumbers, manufacturers/engineers for all sorts of products and services that we need and want in our lives even if we do not have a student in the schools.
In science, when a one-cell organism stops moving, it stagnates and dies. And so do we as a multiple cell organism human being and a community full of human beings.
We need to continue to look forward and see what can we do better, what can we do different, what different pathway in our forests can we travel onto a new, interesting site and how can we assist all of our students in AP/college prep classes, students on career pathway with skilled trades and other opportunities to the special needs students gaining life skills and opportunities for their futures with lifelong learning and excellence being delivered by our staff.
Please feel free to reach out to me by email on the Brown County Schools website or call me on my personal phone at 812-272-7031. Please be advised that I am a physical therapist who works out of the county daily and will return your messages and calls after work as soon as I am able.
Once again, thanks for participating in our democracy by voting and I will do my best to continue to serve Brown County.
Carol Bowden, school board member
Referendum failure means cuts will be ‘serious, necessary and hurtful’
To the editor:
To friends, neighbors, and all the many people in Brown County who I do not know,
I am very sorry the Referendum for the Brown County Schools did not pass.
I am very sorry that those of us who supported it did not do a better job of explaining how important it was for, not just the schools, but the Brown County community. The cuts will probably be serious, necessary and hurtful.
I was also sorry as a retired senior resident of this area to hear that some older residents may have opposed the Referendum because they did not have children in the schools. It is my feeling that some of those same residents may have grandchildren or even great grandchildren in schools somewhere that are supported by the tax dollars of residents who don’t have any children in those schools.
Brown County is a special place to live and retire. I hope we all do what we can to keep it that way.
Donna Ormiston, retired teacher and 31-year resident of Brown County
Send letters to [email protected] by noon Thursday before the date of intended publication (noon Wednesday on holiday weeks). Letters are the opinions of the writer. Letters must be signed by the author and include the writer’s town of residence and a contact number in case of questions. Only one letter every two weeks, per writer, to allow for diversity of voices in the opinions section. Please be considerate of sharing space with other letter-writers and keep your comments concise and to the point. Avoid name-calling, accusations of criminal activity and second- and third-hand statements of “fact.”
