Thrivent and Raritan Valley Habitat for Humanity partner to help families stay in their homes during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Somerville, New Jersey (Dec. 29, 2020) – Thrivent is awarding Raritan Valley Habitat for Humanity (RV Habitat) a contribution of $5,000 to help families in Hunterdon and Somerset Counties stay in their homes. Thrivent’s donation will allow Habitat to provide mortgage relief to Habitat homeowners who need temporary assistance making their mortgage payments during the COVID-19 pandemic. With Thrivent’s support, RV Habitat will sustain affordable homeownership costs for its homeowner families in Hunterdon and Somerset Counties.
Prior to the spread of the novel coronavirus, more than 18 million households across the U.S. were paying half or more of their income on a place to live. As the pandemic continues to cause job disruption and economic fallout, many households are enduring lay-offs, unemployment, and pay cuts. This wage loss has amplified the financial burden on households to maintain essential payments and can result in families having to trade-off between bills, mortgage, or medical care.
“We’re thankful for Thrivent’s financial support to provide critical funding during this challenging time,” said Jan Holmstrup, Executive Director at Raritan Valley Habitat for Humanity. “It will go a long way to help defray the costs of monthly housing for our homeowners who have been financially affected by the pandemic. It will also provide them a great amount of relief during the holiday season.”
RV Habitat is one of 100 local Habitat organizations across the nation partnering with Thrivent to help families stay in their homes during the COVID-19 pandemic. In total, Thrivent is donating $750,000 to Habitat for Humanity to assist with mortgage-related relief and prevent foreclosures across the U.S.
“This year has been incredibly difficult for many people as financial hardship has added stress and anxiety to daily lives,” said Nikki Sorum, senior vice president of Thrivent Advisors at Thrivent. “This pandemic has underscored how important it is for people to have safe, affordable homes. Given all we have endured in 2020, we are especially honored to provide financial support to Habitat for Humanity to help people stay in their homes so they can continue to build toward financial stability.”
In 2019 Raritan Valley Habitat for Humanity was awarded a $5,000 Thrivent sponsored Building on Faith grant. In association with this grant, RV Habitat hosted a Building on Faith Community Service Day where over 100 volunteers were broken into work teams that accomplished eight maintenance projects needed by local faith-based organizations.
Habitat for Humanity and Thrivent began their partnership in 2005. Over the past 15 years, Thrivent and their clients have contributed more than $275 million to Habitat and have partnered with families to build safe, affordable homes across the U.S. and around the world.
About Raritan Valley Habitat for Humanity
Raritan Valley Habitat for Humanity (RV Habitat) puts God’s love into action and brings people together to build homes, communities, and hope. Our vision is a time when everyone in Hunterdon and Somerset counties has a decent place to live. Since 1991, RV Habitat has been building strength, stability, and self-reliance through affordable home ownership opportunities for hard-working, local families. To support these projects by making a donation, please visit www.rvhabitat.org/give or mail a donation to Raritan Valley Habitat for Humanity, P.O. Box 6275 Bridgewater, NJ 08807. For individuals (ages 16+) and groups who would like to volunteer on the Montgomery Township build site, visit www.rvhabitat.org/volunteer.
About Thrivent
Thrivent is a diversified financial services organization that helps people achieve financial clarity, enabling lives full of meaning and gratitude. As a mission-driven, membership-owned organization, it offers its more than 2 million members and customers a broad range of financial products, services and guidance. Thrivent and its subsidiary and affiliate companies offer insurance, investments, banking and advice over the phone, online as well as through financial professionals and independent agents nationwide. Thrivent is a Fortune 500 company with $152 billion in assets under management/advisement (as of 12/31/19). Thrivent carries an A++ (Superior) rating from AM Best, a credit rating agency; this is the highest of the agency’s 16 ratings categories and was affirmed in May of 2019. For more information, visit Thrivent.com. You can also find us on Facebook and Twitter.