Community October 23, 2008
YNHH and Medical Staff to Construct a Habitat for Humanity House
Yale-New Haven Hospital and the medical staff are co-sponsoring a Habitat for Humanity house located at 15 Wilson Street in the Hill neighborhood, a few minutes away from the hospital. A ground-breaking event on Saturday, November 1, 2008, kicked off construction of the house, which should take about six months to build.
Employees, volunteers and their families, and YNHH physicians - both university- and community based, as well as their families and office staffs - can volunteer to work on the Habitat house for a day or more until the house is completed in spring 2009. People can volunteer Tuesdays through Saturdays, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. No construction experience is necessary; Habitat construction staff provides the necessary training. Habitat for Humanity of Greater New Haven is fully insured, and all volunteers are covered by an umbrella policy for disability and an accident medical policy.
"I'm delighted the hospital and the medical staff have decided to undertake this project together. Everyone benefits - the organizations, the community and the homeowners," said Richard D'Aquila, executive vice president and COO. "What a great way for Yale-New Haven to show the community how much we care."
"The coming together of YNHH, its physicians and Habitat for Humanity is a cause for great celebration. All three groups share the goal of improving the lives of those around us, so this cooperative effort makes a lot of sense. It is especially fitting that this will be Habitat's first ‘green' build in the greater New Haven area," said Suzanne Lagarde, MD, a YNHH gastroenterologist and assistant clinical professor, Internal Medicine, digestive diseases.
Habitat builds and rehabilitates homes to create safe, decent, affordable houses that add to the revitalization of New Haven's neighborhoods, and has built 60 houses in greater New Haven since it was founded in 1986.
Article originally appeared in the October 23, 2008 issue of the Bulletin employee newsletter (page 2)
http://www.ynhh.org/bulletin_archive/2008/102308_bulletin.pdf
