The WAY is what makes this housing initiative truly 'affordable' and truly amazing.
When those who could profit, choose not to, and instead, put the welfare of someone in need before their own personal gain, miracles happen. In AD 30-40 there were a group of people that referred to themselves as "belonging to The Way." They sought to live by the teachings and example of Jesus and cared for "the least of these." They could say, "there was not a needy person among them." Some sold their property, others welcomed people in their homes. They put special emphasis on caring for widows and orphans and those who were without family. WOW.
Could this still happen again today? Yes.
Volunteers
WOW Living is run by a passionate TEAM of servant-hearted volunteers who will readily admit that "We get just as much, if not more, from giving as those who are receiving." WOW is committed to cultivating an environment where people love to serve and want to be a part of the TEAM. This also allows us to direct donations to the people we are serving and projects we are building instead of salaries.
Landlords
Bradford Community Church is choosing to allow WOW Living to use a portion of their land at no cost. This helps to keep the operating costs extremely low. As generous as their example is, the church is not the first landlord to do this. In 2019, a Bradford couple who own 26 acres allowed another Bradford senior to put our town's first garden suite on their property at no cost as long as the town was agreeable, which they were.
We are looking for more landlords, churches or private property owners, who would like to help provide truly 'affordable' housing for someone in need.
Municipal Leaders
Our Bradford municipal leaders have waived all associated zoning and building fees for the project at Bradford Community Church. Application fees are typically in the thousands of dollars, all of which we are able to use to cover other infrastructure costs.
Trailer Owners
The owners of our first trailer sold it to us at a discounted price because they wanted to support the project. We are looking for others to follow their example or donate their trailers for a charitable tax receipt. In this market trailers are selling for much more than they once did and owners that choose to assist us in this way are offering us a great gift.
Business Owners
The list of local business owners who have donated material to this project is astounding. Many of them also gave prior to WOW Living receiving charitable status, so they gave without an expectation of a charitable tax receipt. From studs and drywall, electrical wire and outlets, to brand new windows and doors, our local businesses donated or discounted all of the materials needed. Please visit our Contributors page for more information.
Tradespeople & Expertise
Our network of tradespeople and experts in the field with generous, big hearts is ever growing. Electricians, plumbers, contractors, drywallers, insulators, RV technicians, haulers, video production and more. When they can offer their services at no cost, they do, and when they need some of their costs covered, we have had financial supporters step up to cover those needs.
Financial Support
Magna International provided us with our first financial donation of $5,000 in June 2021. Shortly after, Re\Max International issued a Summer Of Service (S.O.S.) challenge to all of their franchise owners. Heidi Kostyra's team at Re\Max Crosstown Realty Inc. helped to win $8,000 to keep the project moving. The Cooperators Insurance Company has been our largest financial supporter so far with a total of $15,000. While we appreciate large financial donations such as these, we have also been inspired by the sacrificial giving of people like Denise. This incredible woman has lived below the poverty line for most of her life. Three months ago, when she turned 65 and her income went up to $1,600/month she was thrilled to begin supporting WOW Living with $10/month. WOW! Every dollar counts and we want our entire community to have the opportunity to contribute.
