There is a missing door stop and some caulking that was not done at the Habitat house that was recently finished. Who could we call that would be willing to go back and complete these small but important projects—Charlie Horner—that’s who. Charlie has become an invaluable volunteer, the ‘small projects’ guy, always willing to take care of the finishing details.

Charlie started with Habitat in August 2007 and enjoys working with the dedicated regular volunteers and the new ones that show up on work days. He responded to the Red Cross call for volunteers and spent three weeks working out of a Red Cross kitchen just east of Houston last September after Hurricane Ike. 

Retired secondary science and English/German teachers, Charlie and  Sigrid are from Colorado. Sigrid currently substitute teaches for LPS and volunteers at Lincoln Literacy. In addition to being Habitat supporters, Charlie and his wife Sigrid are active with the Church of the Brethren Disaster Ministries. They have helped rebuild flood damaged homes in several states including Louisiana. The Horner’s have two children, Michelle who recently graduated as a medical assistant from SCC and son Michael who is a puppeteer with Paul Mesner Puppets in Kansas City, MO.

 “Charlie is a real gem, and a valuable part of the ministry at our congregation, ” says Joyce Petry, Habitat board member and pastor of Antelope Park Church of the Brethren. “For our Palm Sunday worship, Charlie did the children's story. He made a paper bag puppet of "Hannah," the donkey that carried Jesus into Jerusalem.  At the end of the story, he gave each child their own "Hannah" puppet. Charlie Horner is a real Renaissance man; he not only builds Habitat houses, he also makes paper bag puppets for our children. Charlie can always be counted on to help with any repairs to our buildings, and to do yard work and other tasks.”

New Habitat homeowners also appreciate Charlie when he returns to take care of those pesky little tasks that are part of every building project.                   

Charlie Horner

Aras left Iraq when Saddam Hussein was in power. Aras was still a young student but fled the country and went to Pakistan where he met Naureen.  Their children, Shahbaz and Sherzad were born while the family was still in Pakistan. Since coming to American, first to Austin, Texas and then to Lincoln, Arzoo and Zahra have been born.

Aras works very hard as a forklift operator at Cook’s Foods. The family lives in a small two bedroom apartment. The plumbing in their apartment leaks, they have had snakes in the summer and cockroaches. They are very anxious to have a decent, affordable home for their young family. 

Aras Amin Mustafa & Naureen Zamen

MEET OUR NEW BOARD MEMBER

Dr. Steven A. Eggland is the most recent addition to the LLCHH Board of Directors. He grew up on a central Iowa farm and attended the University of Iowa, the University of Northern Iowa and the University of Wisconsin. He spent 30 years as a professor and later as the Chairperson of the Department of Vocational and Adult Education at the University of Nebraska. Steve is now a retired Emeritus Professor of Education at UNL and, most recently, the retired Executive Director of the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges in Schools of Washington, DC.  He brings expertise to the Board in the realms of marketing, education, proposal development and real estate as well as a commitment to sustainable building and hands-on philanthropy.

When asked to describe his personal history of volunteering, his first response was that he had not done much more than an occasional holiday stint at the Lincoln City Mission. He then acknowledged membership and leadership on numerous non-profit boards of directors.  These have included locally the Malcolm School Board, the Lincoln Symphony Orchestra Board of Directors, and the Nebraska School Boards Association Board of Directors.  He has also served in several national capacities through the boards of the Association for Career and Technical Education, the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools, the national Marketing Education Association, and, most recently, the Newbridge Colleges of Los Angeles.

His first experience with Habitat was a few years ago as a volunteer truck driver for Habitat’s ReStore in Alexandria, Virginia. There he developed a new appreciation for recycling and reusing a wide variety of building materials to the benefit of Habitat.

In addition to his membership on the LLCHH Board, he is a member of the Board’s Family Selection Committee and spends Tuesdays as a “regular” as he says, “hammerin’ for Habitat.’’

Recently, Steve made a very generous gift to Habitat for Humanity to be used to build a home in Lincoln. The gift was given in honor of his mother’s Norwegian immigrant family from Iowa. The family included an architect, carpenters, a lumber yard manager and several farmers. They were, predictably, committed to thrift and sustainability before their time. The “Stenson House” will be the first concerted effort to construct a sustainable Habitat home in Lincoln including as many “green” and energy efficient elements as possible.

Administrative Assistant