Our Story | Nassau Habitat for Humanity

Decent Communities Should be Available to All

Nassau County Habitat for Humanity History

In 1992, a man named Jesse Duke, a house painter, became upset at the poorly maintained houses and trailers he saw as he traveled to work around Nassau County, FL. Jesse had heard through his church of a Georgia organization called Habitat for Humanity which was dedicated to doing something about the problem of substandard housing. After a trip to Americus, GA Jesse learned about Millard Fuller and his Habitat ministry which was dedicated to bringing his faith based mission called Habitat for Humanity to communities around the country. Upon returning to Fernandina Beach, Jesse led the intensive work of becoming a Habitat Affiliate. With significant funding provided by the First Presbyterian Church of Fernandina, volunteers and a Board of Directors, Humanity and built and dedicated its first home in 1994.

Our Mission

Building family strength, stability, and self reliance through home ownership.

Our Vision

Creating a world where everyone has a safe and dignified place to call home.

Our Values

Demonstrating the love of Jesus Christ by focusing on shelter, advocating for affordable housing, and promoting dignity and hope.

Nassau County Habitat Model

Habitat offers a hand up, not a hand out.
Habitat builds homes and sells them to qualified families and individuals at no-profit
Community volunteers assist in the build to keep costs down
Home buyers must meet qualifications based on need, willingness to partner, and ability to pay
Homeowners pay back an affordable mortgage, typically over 30 years

Mortgage payments depend on the cost of the house and size of the family and do not exceed 30% of the homebuyers’ gross monthly income

Homeowners perform a minimum of 300 hours of sweat equity per applicant as part of their partnership with Habitat. These hours may include help from friends and family.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I apply for a home?

Please refer to our Homeownership page for more information. If you have any other questions about applying, please feel free to contact us!

Does NHFH have a ReStore?

Unfortunately, we do not currently have a ReStore. If you would like to donate to a Habitat for Humanity ReStore, here are a few options:

Camden County ReStore

Phone: (912) 729-3633

Website: www.hfhcamden.org/restore

Email: [email protected]

Jacksonville ReStore

Phone: (904) 208-6648

Website: habijax.org/restore

Email: [email protected]

Jacksonville ReStore 2

Phone: (904) 575-4348

Please contact these stores before donating because they may be able to pick up or might be able to suggest a different place to donate.

What materials can I donate?

Thank you for wanting to donate to us!

We usually put new products in the home as they tend to have warranties. This prevents the homeowner from having to spend money on a product within a short period of time after moving in.

If you have other questions about donating, please contact us so we can help!

Volunteering for the Bahamas?

Thanks for wanting to volunteer with Habitat for Humanity! We are an affiliate and only build in the Fernandina Beach area. The best way to find out how to volunteer with Habitat international is by going to their website.

https://www.habitat.org/impact/our-work/disaster-response

Please contact their disaster response email address or call their phone number.

Thank you again for wanting to volunteer!

How do I volunteer in Nassau County?

We have two main ways of Volunteering with us! One is through our construction team and the other is non-construction related.

Construction:

Our volunteers are usually at the Job site on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 8:00 am and stay until 1:00 pm. There are a variety of tasks to be performed.

Non-Construction:

We have opportunities such as our hospitality team, a job site greeter, administrative/office help, fundraising events, and lots more!

If you would like more information, either go to our Volunteer Positions page or contact us. We would really enjoy you on our team because volunteers are the heart of Nassau Habitat for Humanity. We are only able to accept minors as volunteers if they are accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. If interested, please go to our volunteer contact form, fill out the information, and submit! Thanks for wanting to volunteer!

Nassau County Habitat for Humanity is a 501(c)(3) organization. All donations are 100% tax deductible as a charitable gift for federal income tax purposes.

In accepting and rejecting applications, N.H.F.H. must conform to all aspects of the Fair Housing Act and all Fair Housing Laws, the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the Privacy Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, as well as any local applicable laws as they apply to applications for a mortgage. Read all Policies / Statements here.

Location

516 S. 10th St. Suite #115.
Fernandina Beach FL, 32034

Phone & Hours

(904) 277- 0600
Monday and Thursday 9am -4pm

Decent Communities Should be Available to All