Yale-New Haven Hospital sent in the following write-up and these photos from a ground-breaking for a new Habitat for Humanity project in the Hill neighborhood.
On Saturday, November 1, Yale-NewHaven Hospital kicked-off construction of a Habitat for Humanity house at 15 Wilson Street in the Hill. YNHH and its medical staff are co-sponsoring the house, which will be Habitat for Humanity *Greater New Haven*s first “Green” build (see below).
Employees and physicians from the hospital and their families can volunteer to work on the house Tuesdays through Saturdays until the house is completed in about six months.
Bill Casey, executive director of Habitat, emceed the event and accepted two checks from YNHH and the medical staff, each for $25,000 each.
(l‑r) Dr. Leo Cooney, president of the Medical Staff; Dr. Mike Bennick, a Habitat volunteer, gastroenterologist and associate chief of internal medicine; Dr. Suzanne Lagarde, Habitat volunteer and gastroenterologist; Dr. Peter Herbert, chief of staff; Bill Casey, executive director of Habitat; and Rick D’Aquila, YNHH EVP and COO, pose with the two sponsorship checks at the event.
Speakers included:
• Jorge Perez, Hill alderman
• Rick D*Aquila, YNHH executive vice president and COO
• Dr. Suzanne Lagarde * Habitat volunteer and YNHH gastroenterologist
• Dr. Mike Bennick, a Habitat volunteer, YNHH gastroenterologist, and associate chief of internal medicine at YNHH.
Jorge Perez speaking at the event.
About a YNHH dozen volunteers stayed to work on the house for the rest of the day, beginning to frame it.
BACKGROUND on a GREEN BUILD:
Habitat will be using environmentally-friendly and energy-conserving building techniques, recycled materials, and will be recycling construction and waste disposal. The house will be Energy Star certified (all Habitat for Humanity Greater New Havenhouses are), meaning it meets UI’s high-efficiency heating and cooling guidelines. They will also be making the environment cleaner for the family that is going to live there.
Habitat is following the Green Communities construction criteria. The Green Communities Criteria were developed specifically for developers of all types of affordable housing to be a rigorous yet holistic approach to deliver housing that will provide significant health, economic and environmental benefits. This criteria is aligned with the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design*s (LEED rating system for homes.
There are 62 specific criteria Habitat must meet, ranging from formaldehyde-free wood to healthy flooring to energy-efficient lighting and heating, in the following categories:
• Integrated design
• Site, location and neighborhood fabric
• Site improvements
• Water conservation
• Materials beneficial to the environment
• Healthy living environment
• Operations and maintenance
(l‑r) Rick D’Aquila, YNHH EVP and COO, works with YNHH employees Bonnie Garcia, a receptionist in human resources, and Pat Luddy, vice president, facilities.
So you guys are printing YNHH press releases verbatim now?