Vote for Home

Katie Klemenhagen

Habitat Homeowner

Why do you vote?

I vote because I believe it is my responsibility.

Why is voting important to you?

I vote to show my kids that we have a voice and that we need to be heard. we cant make a change if we don’t take the opportunities.

What’s your voting plan for 2020?

I will be going to the polls to vote.

How do you bring your values to the polls?

I do my research and vote for the candidates that best match what I believe in.

Paula Zozgornik

Habitat Homeowner

Why do you vote?

Because it makes a difference in our country.

Why is voting important to you?

Well, because it allows me to have my voice heard and allows me to choose who should lead out country.

What’s your voting plan for 2020?

As long as the polls are open, I plan to go right after work to vote in person.

How do you bring your values to the polls?

I base my decisions on my values.

What does it mean to you to Vote for Home?

It means with out affordable housing many families wouldn’t get to realize their dream in the way they have. Home is where the heart is so we need to put some heart into our voting.

Kevin Worden

Former Two Rivers Habitat President/Executive Director & Habitat Minnesota Board Member

Why do you vote?

I vote because I want to be a part of the great conversation that has sustained our country for over 240 years. We’ve come so far as a nation yet have so much still to do. I can’t imagine not doing my part to make things better.

Why is voting important to you?

Voting brings out a need in me to get past the sound bytes and truly reflect on the values of the candidates and what kind of people they might bring along with them if elected. It’s an awesome responsibility that we have, and we shouldn’t take it lightly.

What’s your voting plan for 2020?

To truly listen to people, including people who see things differently than I do. No matter where my views fall, there are good, honorable and decent people who have views different than mine. I want to hear where they stand before I cast my vote.

How do you bring your values to the polls?

I try to think beyond the moment, past the heat of the campaigns, in order to hear the “signal” buried deep within the overwhelming “noise”- of where those who propose to lead would take our state and our nation. I listen for the underlying values behind the slogans, so I can vote for those that align with mine.

What does it mean to you to Vote for Home?

It means to vote for candidates who see the “big picture” of how housing affects everything in a person’s life- education, job prospects, and safety. It means voting for those who “see” well into the past- and far into the future- to make sure that everyone has a fair opportunity to have a home that is affordable, safe, and healthy. Societies don’t always get the chance to right past wrongs. We shouldn’t let a chance at better racial equity in housing pass us by.

Julie Gugin

Minnesota Homeownership Center President & Habitat Minnesota Board Member

Why do you vote?

I came of age in the late 60s early 70s, when women’s rights became part of my self awareness. I consider the mid-century leaders around women’s rights to be pioneers, carrying the torch of early suffragettes. They all sacrificed much for women’s rights. My voting honors that sacrifice.

Why is voting important to you?

Voting is justice. Voting is civil. Voting is my voice.

What’s your voting plan for 2020?

I have already voted. I voted absentee in both the primaries and the general election. I dropped off my ballot at my city’s drop-off location.

How do you bring your values to the polls?

My values around character, vision, leadership, respect for societal norms, and equity and inclusion are top of mind for me in my personal and professional life as well as in my choice of candidate.

What does it mean to you to Vote for Home?

I cast my vote for those who recognize that housing is essential to all other aspects of a thriving society. Without housing, education, employment, health, are severely compromised. Housing is at the root of equity in the United States. I vote for candidates who espouse equitable, fair, access to housing. I believe that guaranteeing safe, sustainable housing for all is critical to the very existence of our country and democracy

Susan Garrett

North St Louis County Habitat Community Resource Manager

Why do you vote?

I consider it my responsibility as an American citizen.

Why is voting important to you?

I believe in our ideal of a representative democracy. Now, more than ever, it is imperative that everyone vote, particularly those of us who have benefited from privilege and the work and sacrifice of our foremothers.

What’s your voting plan for 2020?

My husband and I have already mailed in our ballots and they have been accepted and recorded. We checked.

How do you bring your values to the polls?

I believe in the inalienable rights of ALL the people as well as my faith’s central teaching (and that of many other faiths) to love my neighbor as myself.

What does it mean to you to Vote for Home?

It means working toward a vision of a world where everyone has a decent place to live. It means being aware that housing is central to health and the creation of wealth and how the access to housing for everyone will make our communities and our country stronger.

Jim Nelson

Lake Agassiz Habitat Executive Director

Why do you vote?

Voting is a civic responsibility for each American citizen. Voting is also a right and a privilege that we have as Americans.

Why is voting important to you?

Each American adult has the opportunity to cast a vote in support of their preferred candidate. Certain countries don’t allow voting while others don’t hold fair elections where the people can freely vote their conscience. I’ve travelled to several of these countries and I wouldn’t want to live in a society where I lacked the right to vote. Because of this, I make certain to vote in every election that I’m given the opportunity to vote in.

What’s your voting plan for 2020?

I‘ve already cast my ballot and mailed it to my local county courthouse. I decided to practice early voting primarily due to potential restrictions or delays that might occur on election day due to the deployment of COVID-19 safety precautions.

How do you bring your values to the polls?

I make sure that I’m prepared to vote prior to each election by learning each candidate’s position on the issues that I believe are most critical to me and to our society. Similarly, I educate myself on the measures or other items that are on the ballot.

What does it mean to you to Vote for Home?

When I think about “Vote for Home” my thoughts focus on the HFHI vision, “A world where everyone deserves a decent place to live.” So, when I voted in the 2020 election (I’ve already voted by mail), my choices were driven by Habitat’s vision statement. In other words, I focused on those candidates and measures that will benefit those who live in unacceptable housing and are often left without a voice. As I prepared to vote I learned about each candidate and each measure on the ballot. My vote will seek to protect those who are typically underrepresented in policy discussions such as Habitat partner families and Habitat homeowners and others in similar economic situations. My vote will also seek to grow affordable housing opportunities and eliminate social and racial inequality in our community.