7 Reasons Why You Should Support Hosanna Industries
We’ll multiply your donation by four.
Over the past 23 years we have done close to $50 million of charitable construction work for a cost of less than $14 million. By using donated and discounted materials, volunteer labor, and a staff who is skilled in construction but not paid like contractors, we are able to be excellent stewards of the funds that we receive.
We’ll use your money wisely.
Many times people use administration costs as a way to judge nonprofits. Our administrative costs account for less than 7% of our costs. We realize that our donated dollars should be used wisely, and use every penny to the best of our ability. (You can check out our Guidestar report here.)
We’re growing.
When we were founded in 1990, we had a small facility, a budget of $30 thousand, and completed 13 projects with 93 volunteers. Now in 2013, we have a campus that includes a volunteer dormitory, a chapel, community center, trade skill training center, warehouse, etc. We have a budget of over a million dollars, and have completed over 2700 projects with close to 150,000 volunteers.
Your neighbors need your help.
According to this article in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review from 2012, one in four Pennsylvania households do not make enough money to meet the family’s basic needs. Chances are, Hosanna Industries has helped one of your neighbors, a member of your church, or a family member. In 2012 our average single client had an income of less than $13 thousand. We do not require our clients to pay for the work that they receive, as most of the time they cannot afford it. The people that we help are hard working or retired people that many times have circumstances such as handicaps, health problems, or accidents that put them in a position of need either temporarily or permanently.
We’re unique.
It’s not often that you see eight women and two men providing construction services, let alone on the level that Hosanna does. Many of our staff have been here for a dozen or more years, and all of them are extremely dedicated to their work. We consider it our calling to serve those crying out “Hosanna, rescue me now Lord!”
We’re organized.
Hosanna Industries’ does new construction in the form of a blitz build, which is when we build a whole house completely finished with appliances in five days or less. This requires an extreme amount of organization, from the permits to the inspections to the materials to the volunteers. We have a warehouse on our campus where everything is labeled and has its own place. We continuously lead unskilled volunteers and try to make sure that everyone has a job that is vital for the success of the project.
Demands are rising.
Construction is expensive, and material prices are rising. Also, with the weather trends changing there are more natural disasters than ever and more people than ever that need help recovering and rebuilding. Recently in the United States there has been an increase in construction but a decrease in skilled workers. See the article here. Our trade skill learning center helps to provide hope to young people by teaching them the value of hard work and respect. We aim to be as effective as possible with these constantly rising demands.
-Amanda Becker, Mission Worker