Annual HUG Award contender #4: Leela Krishnamurthy, Houston Habitat

H

T

E THE HUG

DS?

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ss=”he

ostext">The Houston’s Unsung G

e

ts ds (HUG ds) e sponso

ed by

tto

ney Ste

t J. Guss to hono

those loc

l men

nd

omen

ho m

ke

speci

l cont

ibution to the community of Houston.

E

ch month

e

d

p

ize of $100

nd

Houston He

o t-shi

t,

nd e

ch ye

e give one of the loc

l he

oes $1000. These blog posts highlight the g

e

t

o

k done the the chity

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mong this ye

’s 6 contende

s fo

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nnu

l

d.

THE CH

ITY: HOUSTON H

BIT

T FO

HUM

NITY

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in ou

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s fo

the

nnu

l HUG

d is the ti

eless <

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n>n style=”font-

eight: 400;">Leel

K

ishn

mu

thy <

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n>n style=”font-

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bit

t fo

Hum

nity<

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n><>n style=”font-

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bit

t believes th

t eve

yone dese

ves

decent pl

ce to live.  Houston H

bit

t empo

e

s lo

income Houstoni

ns to build

bette

futu

e fo

themselves

nd thei

f

milies.  <

sp

n> n style=”font-

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bit

t homeo

ne

s cont

ibute hund

eds of hou

s of “s

e

t equity,” including completing fin

nci

l

nd homeo

ne

ship tining

nd helping to build thei

o

n homes. They pu

ch

se thei

homes

ith

ffo

d

ble mo

tg

ges.  Houston H

bit

t

lso helps countless othe

f

milies p

ese

ve thei

homes by p

oviding c

itic

l home

ep

i

s,

nd

e opete the Houston H

bit

t

eSto

e –

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ovement sto

e

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tion cente

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ith

h

nd-up, Houston H

bit

t homeo

ne

s

e

ble to

emove b

ie

s to oppo

tunity

nd success

nd

chieve st

ength, st

bility

nd self-

eli

nce. Since 1987, Houston H

bit

t h

s built ove

1,050 homes, h

s

ep

i

ed countless othe

s

nd h

s been involved in the

evit

liz

tion of 14 Houston neighbo

hoods.  Houston H

bit

t

s n

med Houston’s most effective chity by the Houston Ch

onicle b

sed on its Chity N

vig

to

ting of 4-st

, exceeding indust

y st

nd

ds in fin

nci

l he

lth,

ccount

bility

nd t

nsp

ency met

ics.  Houston H

bit

t is

lso

n

ffili

te of H

bit

t fo

Hum

nity Inte

n

tion

l,

hich s n

med the “Most Loved”

nd “Most T

usted” b

nd in the soci

l se

vices nonp

ofit c

tego

y by the H

is Poll in 2016

nd 2015.<

sp

n>   n style=”font-

eight: 400;">Len mo

e

bout the life-ch

nging

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k of H

bit

t fo

Hum

nity in Houston in n><

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sp

n> THE NOMINEE: LEEL

K

ISHN

MU

THY<

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idth=”480″ height=”480″ /> >n style=”font-

eight: 400;">Leel

K

ishn

mu

thy is

ell kno

n fo

he

o

k in Houston

s

<

sp

n>n style=”font-

eight: 400;">loc

l community

ctivist

nd phil

nth

opist. L n>n style=”font-

eight: 400;">eel

h

s

longst

nding

eco

d of se

vice to the Houston community – giving to

nd ising money fo

nume

ous n

tion

l

nd inte

n

tion

l c

uses, helping individu

ls

ith

h

nd-up, est

blishing ptne

ships in the nonp

ofit community, she h

s done it

ll. To s

y Leel

K

ishn

mu

thy m

kes things h

ppen

ould be

n unde

st

tement. He

tck

eco

d of chit

ble

o

k is

m

zing

nd she is

 t

ue inspition to the loc

l community. He

e is

h

t

llison H

y h

d to s

y

hen sending us Leel

’s nomin

tion fo

Houston H

bit

t:<

sp

n>   n style=”font-

eight: 400;">Leel

K

ishn

mu

thy is the ch

i

of the Homeo

ne

s Se

vices Committee of ou

Bod of Di

ecto

s. She h

s

o

ked ti

elessly to ensu

e th

t lo

-income Houstoni

ns h

ve

decent pl

ce to live. She eng

ged the Indo-

me

ic

n community to build t

o homes

nd she ch

i

ed ou

25th

nnive

sy G

l

.

ishing to empo

e

single moms to become homeo

ne

s, Leel

convinced Fi

st L

dy Cecilibbott to pticip

te in ou

nnu

l

omen Build p

oject to help build

home fo

single mothe

nd he

child

en

nd spotlight  the b

ie

s to obt

ining

ffo

d

ble housing they expe

ience. Leel

l

ys thinks of ou

homeo

ne

s fi

st. n><

i>

 

THE C

SE STUDY: CH

ND

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ny of ou

homeo

ne

s, Ch

nd

is

single mom st

uggling to p

ovide

bette

futu

e fo

he

self

nd he

child

en.  She be

ms

s she t

lks

bout he

son

nd d

ughte

ho h

ve g

e

t

c

demic go

ls

nd d

e

ms

nd he

nieces

nd nephe

s,

ho she

nts to h

ve “

pl

ce to

ide thei

bikes, pl

y in the b

ckyd,

nd sit outside on the po

ch.   n style=”font-

eight: 400;">Ch

nd

is no

the p

oud o

ne

of the 2016

omen Build home.  “Eve

y time I t

lk

bout it, it b

ings me to tes,” she s

ys of he

time du

ing

omen Build,

hen voluntee

s including M

s.

bbott

nd M

s. K

ishn

mu

thy stood beside he

nd helped he

build he

home.  “They

e

e s

e

ting

nd s

inging h

mme

s!  

hen you c

n get somebody to voluntee

nd help you—th

t’s like f

mily.  You don’t h

ve to h

ve

shed bloodline to be f

mily.  Th

t’s

h

t I’ve lened th

ough this jou

ney.”<

sp

n>   n style=”font-

eight: 400;">The fi

st thing Ch

nd did in he

ne

home s host

big f

mily Sund

y dinne

.  Th

nks to Leel

nd he

continued

dvoc

cy

nd se

vice to Houston H

bit

t, Ch

nd

nd countless othe

f

milies c

n do just th

t, kno

ing th

t th

ough homeo

ne

ship they h

ve

lso

chieved st

ength, st

bility

nd independence.  

s Ch

nd

s

ys it best: “Th

t’s

blessing!”  <

sp

n> n style=”font-

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e

bout the f

nt

stic

o

k th

t the Houston H

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t fo

Hum

nity does go to thei

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