A cheque for $125,000 was recently presented to Habitat Niagara to help the non-profit build more homes for local families in our region.

The partnership with Habitat Niagara began in 2019, when Andrew Harber, CEO of Abatement Technologies, worked alongside his employees helping to build a Habitat home. He quickly realized something magical was happening – employees were engaged, learning new skills and cultivating relationships while giving back to the community in a meaningful way.

From that day on, memories have been created and shared amongst his workforce giving them a collective sense of purpose.

Recognizing the importance that a safe and affordable home has for a family, Andrew ensured that Abatement Technologies sponsored build days for employees to participate in for every Habitat Niagara home that was being built. Employees were thrilled to get out of the warehouse or office to dig in, get dirty and make a difference.

Since then, Andrew and his family worked alongside the team at Niagara Community Foundation to establish the Harber Family Fund. The Harber Family Fund is the founding partner for Habitat Niagara’s BUILD MORE program, which supports the agency’s goal to build 30 homes over the next five years.

“Habitat Niagara is making strides to address the affordable housing crisis in our community as the need far exceeds the supply,” said Habitat Niagara’s chief development officer, Lorraine Snihur. “The financial commitment from the Harber Family Fund, will help us build more homes so that families in our community will have a safe, decent and affordable place to call home.”

Habitat for Humanity is a unique organization in the sense that it has the ability to bring people together from all walks of life,” said Andrew Harber, representative for the Harber Family Fund. “If you’re not able to make a financial contribution to the organization, there is always the opportunity to volunteer in the most impactful way – by donating your time.” 

The third home currently under construction in Thorold will be named “The house that the Harber Family Fund built” to honour and recognize the contribution the Harber family has made.