環(huán)球英語—849：Building Houses, Making Homes

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Welcome to Spotlight. I'm Adam Navis.
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And I'm Liz Waid. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
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Ann Smith stands next to her house. She has not moved her things in yet. But she is already is planning on having people come over to celebrate with her. Next spring she hopes to plant some flowers. She may even plant a few vegetables. For her whole life, Ann has rented a place to live. She has not been able to buy a house. She did not have the money or the knowledge. But one organization helped her with both of these. And the smile on her face shows that the help was not wasted.
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Today's Spotlight is on the Inner City Christian Federation, or ICCF. ICCF works in Grand Rapids, in the United States, to help get people a place to live. They do this because they believe God cares about the place a person lives. But ICCF also believes that a home is more than walls, doors, and windows. This is why ICCF rebuilds simple, yet beautiful homes. They believe everyone deserves a beautiful home.
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The Inner City Christian Federation began in 1974. It started because someone gave a house to a church in Grand Rapids. People from the church worked together to fix the house. Then they gave the house to a family who needed a place to live. This was such a good experience that they wanted to keep fixing houses. At first, ICCF only connected people with houses. But the new home owners showed ICCF that they needed more help. They needed to know how to take care of their homes. So in 1985 ICCF employed a person that would teach people about the work of owning a home.
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In 1990 ICCF opened an emergency housing building. It was called Fair Haven. Fair Haven was the first step to getting people into a home of their own. A few years later, ICCF was able to purchase some homes to rent. Now the organization is able to help people with different housing needs. ICCF can help someone who is living on the street, or renting, or having trouble paying for their home.
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ICCF does not only give financial help. They are also involved with people's lives. One of the organization's values is "respect." This is part of their Christian values. The ICCF website says:
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"ICCF believes all persons are created in God's image. They exist in the light of his love. In response, each resident, staff member, director and all whom we serve will be treated with respect."
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ICCF does not just work FOR people. They work WITH people. ICCF works with people for a long time. People who use the programs are expected to work hard. They are part of the process. They are part of the solution.
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Buying and owning a home is a big responsibility. ICCF has created a series of educational programs to teach these skills. They offer classes on home ownership, financial management, fixing a house, and family wellness. This is a lot of work for the workers of ICCF. But it is all part of a long-term a solution. On ICCF's website, it reads:
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"We believe education is the base for strong communities. Education is what prepares families for owning a home. Then they are ready for what is to come. We do not want families to be out of control because they own a home. We want it to be exciting! Education helps create strong homeowners and a strong community."
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Remember Ann Smith from the beginning of the program? She knows the value of education. She said this to writer Cami Reister. Reister is a writer for the Grand Rapids Press.
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"Once I did those ICCF classes, it gave me a whole new way to see things. This is my dream home because I invested in it. When you work hard for something, you are more thankful for it."
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In her words, you can hear how proud Ann is of her home. She worked hard, but she is seeing the results of her work. And she is also proud because her house is beautiful. Beauty is another important value for ICCF. A short-term solution may give a person a place to live. But a long-term solution will consider how people will feel about their house.
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For this reason, ICCF works to design houses that fit with the houses around them. They use high quality materials and skilled workers. It would be bad if a house broke apart in a few years. And it does not help anyone if a family cannot pay to fix, paint, or improve their house. When people have a beautiful house, they feel proud. In recent years, ICCF has even opened their own building to hold art and music shows. They do this because they believe that everyone should be able to enjoy good art and good music. Even if they do not have lots of money.
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The head of the ICCF is Jonathan Bradford. He spoke to writer Terri Finch Hamilton of the Grand Rapids Press. He spoke about how being a Christian influences his work. He spoke about the importance of beauty, being safe, and keeping costs low.
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"Beauty has become only for the rich. When we can bring beauty into the lives of poor people, there is a chance at justice. God says there is work to do out there. When a broken wall falls on a child's head it makes God angry. When a mother has to choose between food and rent, that makes God angry. That is not the way it is supposed to be."