Tensions mount as local Habitat takes complaint before a judge

The Virginian-Pilot ^ | June 13, 2005 | Aaron Applegate

[fredhead]

SUFFOLK — Penny Wood wanted to get her hands dirty and help build somebody a house during her vacation. Instead, the first-time Habitat for Humanity volunteer from Chicago walked away from a Suffolk job site June 4 feeling less than charitable.

A simmering dispute between members of South Hampton Roads Habitat for Humanity and leaders of the Suffolk chapter boiled over. Leaders from the regional group changed the locks at the almost-finished house to keep Suffolk workers out. Crews from both sides stood around in tense clumps trying to figure out what was going on and who was in charge.

Wood was shocked.

“If these are the politics of this supposed Christian organization, then I never want to be associated with it, and that’s sad,” she said. “To see it become a bitter inner battle is just crazy.”

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A few days earlier, the South Hampton Roads Habitat group, which represents the region, banned the former Suffolk project leader, Angela Koncz, from all work sites. Regional leaders had discovered that Koncz, who had been leading the Suffolk volunteers for the regional group, had plans to start a rival organization.

On Friday, the mess landed in court when leaders of the regional Habitat group got an injunction against Koncz to keep her from using the Habitat name to promote the rival housing nonprofit she plans to start – called Building Suffolk.

[fredhead]

Maybe Jimmah should come up here and straighten things out. The Libs can't even help out poor people using their own organizations!!

[Knute]

“If these are the politics of this supposed Christian organization, then I never want to be associated with it, and that’s sad,” she said.

I don't believe that Habitat has ever made any claims of being a faith based organization

[FreePaul]

Maybe Jimmah should come up here and straighten things out.

He must have already been there. This sounds like the results he gets when he straightens things out. Just look at his list of accomplishments to date.

[martin_fierro]

Hey, I'm human.

Wish someone would build *me* a habitat.

[LIConFem]

*Ugh*

I read the headline as, "...as local Halibut takes complaint before judge"

I need new glasses...

[Frumious Bandersnatch]

No, conservatives do a lot of volunteer work. However, it is generally quite obvious when an organization is libby. It has something like "humanity" or "people's republic" in its title, or its stated mission has to to with "social justice," or "environmentalism."

True, these aren't absolute indicators, but they are more than sufficient to meet and exceed the "rule of thumb" paradigm.

[fredhead]

I was referring to the people running these orgainzations.

I am sure that there are a large number of conservatives volunteering.

[Fierce Allegiance]

Even though JC is involved, it's not a lib organization. Think about it, it involves charity and hard work. these are definitely not liberal ideas nor ideals. Were it a lib program, they would just steal a little bigger chunk of your paycheck.

[Fierce Allegiance]

Here's *your* habitat!

[martin_fierro]

Here's *your* habitat!

"HEY! I resemble that remark!"

[bill1952]

Because the vast majority in that organization are libs.

You won't find many conservatives doing pro bono work in the ACLU, either.

Plenty of conservative do volunteer work, just not in liberal organizations started by Jimmah.

[silverleaf]

Yes you liberal butt heads- blame the squabble on the failings of Christianity.

[basil]

Perhaps this will shed some light on the subject:

Habitat

[Red Badger]

You should have known something was fishey..........