Kristi Crafton vividly recalls one of the reasons she has kept working at Habitat for Humanity Quad Cities. Not long ago, a crew of volunteers had just built a wheelchair ramp at a Davenport home. The wheelchair-bound resident came out, thanked the volunteers and he tearfully said: “This is the first time in two years […]
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Kristi Crafton vividly recalls one of the reasons she has kept working at Habitat for Humanity Quad Cities.Not long ago, a crew of volunteers had just built a wheelchair ramp at a Davenport home. The wheelchair-bound resident came out, thanked the volunteers and he tearfully said: “This is the first time in two years I have been able to leave this house.”“The volunteers were in tears. … That’s what keeps you going, knowing you can help people,” said Ms. Crafton, the executive director of Habitat for Humanity Quad Cities for the past 18 years.Ms. Crafton, whose career with nonprofits has spanned 45 years, is leader of the organization that is probably still best known for trying to eliminate poverty in the region by building homes. (In fact, its motto is: “Building Homes. Building Hopes. Building Dreams.”)But, she would like people to know that Habitat for Humanity is more than a home-building organization. The group also repairs homes, builds ramps, helps with neighborhood revitalization, and runs a store – ReStore – that sells building materials, furnishings and appliances to support Habitat’s mission.All those different parts of the group make a great, positive difference in the lives of people in need, Ms. Crafton said.“You truly see the difference it makes in people’s lives. You share the happy tears of joy,” she told the QCBJ. “The difference you can make is what brings people back.”Habitat for Humanity Quad Cities is involved in many projects aimed at helping others achieve their dream of homeownership. The organization’s reach includes home builds, neighborhood revitalization efforts, home repairs, wheelchair ramp construction and disaster recovery. CREDIT DAVE THOMPSONMs. Crafton began her career with Habitat Quad Cities in 2005 after 27 years with two other local non-profits. At the time, the Habitat affiliate had just over a $500,000 budget, which has much more than quadrupled under her leadership.These days, in addition to helping people in the community, Habitat also is in the midst of a leadership change. Thomas Fisher-King is in the process of becoming Habitat’s new executive director. He began in his new role on Saturday, Sept. 17, to allow for a three-month transition into the job. Ms. Crafton plans to retire Friday, Jan. 6.During a recent interview with the QCBJ, Ms. Crafton said she was having no regrets about eventually handing over the job. She added that “I love this place,” but it’s time for change.“I have absolute faith he will do a great job.”
She said these are some of her tips for the new incoming executive director:
Keep an open mind.
Be able to “turn on a dime.” “Things change quickly in this world.”
Move forward quickly.
Take time to “smell the roses.” “We have such great moments here at Habitat. … That’s what brings you joy in this job.”
Have fun. It’s hard work, but remember to have fun.
“I am extremely honored to be following the legacy of Kristi Crafton and I am equally passionate about the mission this valuable organization embodies,” Mr. Fisher-King said in a recent statement. “I look forward to continuing the successful programs that Habitat for Humanity QC has built and I am anxious to continue fostering the valuable relationships of Habitat, not only within the organization but also in the community.”To help continue that legacy, Ms. Crafton will likely be helping the new executive director transition into a variety of big and small jobs that have filled her days at Habitat for almost 20 years. And those jobs include fielding calls from people in distress and trying to get them help; reaching out to the community during fundraising efforts; and planning and keeping track of the many projects Habitat heads up every year.These days, keeping an eye on projects often means keeping tabs on rising prices. Ms. Crafton said the biggest challenges she has faced in recent times center around the one-two punches of inflation and supply chain issues. For instance, inflation continues to hurt building efforts. She added that while the price for lumber “seems to be stable” for the time being, other prices continue to climb. In fact, the price of building a Habitat home has risen from about $113,000 (pre-pandemic), to currently around $149,000.The supply chain also is causing headaches. Ms. Crafton said it can now take six to eight months to get appliances such as washers and dryers for the Habitat homes. “We have to order well in advance for our projects,” she said.In addition, there are other challenges hitting Habitat. One of those is the lack of affordable housing in the community and across the country. “Affordable housing is at a crisis point right now,” she said. That crisis is of great concern because one of the goals of Habitat is to help people get out of poverty by making them homeowners, instead of renters. And homeownership is one of the keys to success because it helps build wealth within the family.But, despite all the challenges of the housing crisis and inflation, Habitat keeps building homes. Ms. Crafton said that the organization is always “building on faith” because they have to make guesses on the prices and donations to support the home projects.However, once Habitat for Humanity starts a home-building project “we always finish a house,” she added.
