Give|Get|Make, created by our friend Zoe Minikes...

Give|Get|Make, created by our friend Zoe Minikes and Emma Bernsohn, held an exhibition entitled “Shelter” in San Francisco earlier this month. Artists from across the country provided work to be sold or auctioned, with the proceeds going directly to our current project, the first ever Habitat for Humanity house built in Green River.

With the house just over 50% complete, this event sought to boost the project by raising capital funds to be used for such things as plumbing, electrical, and insulation. Our success in retrieving in-kind materials can only go so far; at some point, you need money to pay the guy doing the labor.

The event was a great success. Nicole and Jack ventured via Amtrak to San Fran, carrying a box of items that represented “home” purchased from the Green River Thrift Store. Past Crew Members Kelly Gregory, Brett Randall, and Miles Mattison all joined in for the event, bringing the Green River vibes to San Francisco.

The one-night gallery, held at Incline Gallery, exhibited the work and gave a chance for the guests to discuss the possibilities and difficulties of transferring empathy to a family they would likely never meet in a town they have likely never heard of.In the end, $1,700 was raised that night, with more coming from the auction of the remainder of the work.

A big thank you goes to Zoe Minikes and Emma Bernsohn. They approached Epicenter earlier this year and just said, “We’d like to help. What can we do?” In the months that followed, all we had to do on our end was provide some information and a few approvals. It was great to just show up to the event and reap the rewards of such diligent and selfless work. The willingness of these two to work so much reignites our energy to get it done.

Also a thank you to all the artists who donated their work. To the Incline Gallery for hosting free of charge. To those who attended and purchased the artwork.

Lastly, to the prospective homeowner family, the Mendozas, whose patience has been remarkable. Hundreds of hours have been contributed on site already. And as winter sets in here and the house that has been in progress for two years (with construction beginning in May 2011), we regret we are not further along.

Visit Give|Get|Make and consider donating to this project. Visit the Habitat Blog for updates and pictures of the house in progress. Hire these two stellar designers by contacting them via their websites: ZoeMinikes.com and EmmaBernsohn.com.