Meet Your CHR Neighbor
Fran Peters, owner of Island Vacations, is delighted to have a key employee who lives on Sanibel.
“In the vacation property rental business, it’s a huge asset having someone actually live on the island for the occasional emergency,” she said. “Allen Dunham coordinates the cleaning and maintenance of all our properties, and is my only employee who lives on island. It gives me great peace of mind to have him here.”
Dunham came to Sanibel from Illinois in 1998, and the moment he set foot on the island knew he wanted to live here. He quickly found work in the hospitality industry, but could only afford to rent off-island until he qualified for Community Housing & Resources (CHR) affordable housing a year later.
Living on island also allows Dunham to indulge his love for the natural environment and volunteer for activities such as the Sanibel Captiva Conservation Foundation’s sea turtle program. As a permittee, he is licensed to assist with sea turtle strandings and nest monitoring. He has also helped SCCF with shorebird nest monitoring, plus bobcat and gopher tortoise surveys, and he reports to the Audubon eagle watch program on the eagle nest across the street from his office.
Dunham is grateful to CHR for enabling him to be part of the fabric of Sanibel, and Peters is happy to have a true “island boy” on her staff.
“When he applied for the job in 2005 and the interview was complete, I asked if he had any other questions. Most would ask about benefits, hours of work or pay scale, but Allen’s most pressing question was whether he had to wear shoes to work!”
CHR is a non-profit organization that has partnered for more than 30 years with the City of Sanibel to provide affordable housing for people who live and/or work on the island, plus senior and disabled Sanibel citizens. With more than 117 residents occupying 74 rental units and 14 limited-equity ownership homes in 11 complexes throughout the island, CHR is an essential resource for those who provide the services all islanders want to enjoy. CHR residents contribute in numerous ways to island life and often volunteer for/lead island organizations.
CHR depends on donations to help cover the ongoing maintenance, refurbishment, and repair of CHR buildings and grounds, and will hold their second annual Mardi Gras fundraiser on March 1, 2014. For more information about CHR, visit sanibelchr.org, stop by their office at 2401 Library Way, or phone 472-1189.
Meet your CHR neighbor
Richard McCurry, owner of Sanibel Caf, raised his family in Community Housing & Resources affordable housing almost 25 years ago. Now his first-born, Katie, is bringing up her son, Tyler, in a CHR complex while she manages the Caf and attends Edison College.
Richard attributes much of his success to CHR, which allowed him and his family to live on Sanibel.
“CHR gave me my start. Their affordable housing made it possible for us to stay on the island and to save enough to make a down payment on a house,” he said.
He shows his appreciation of CHR’s support by constantly giving back to our community lending a hand to businesses and charitable groups, plus serving on numerous boards and committees.
“Without CHR, I wouldn’t have been able to live in and contribute to the community I love. It also helped me build the foundation to buy Sanibel Caf and continue its tradition of homemade island-style cuisine,” he said.
Likewise, Katie is able to help her dad run the restaurant while pursuing her medical education because CHR allows her to live on-island. Now a certified EMT, she plans to start nursing school in 2015, with the ultimate goal of becoming an anesthesiologist. She also trains as a runner and participates in races for charitable causes.
What goes around, comes around. Tyler will start kindergarten in The Sanibel School this August the same school Katie attended when she was growing up on Sanibel. Grampa Richard is delighted to have them both on the island.
“My dream is for all my children and grandchildren to live on the island and give back to the caring community of Sanibel. Thanks to CHR, my dream may come true,” he said.
CHR is a non-profit organization that has partnered for more than 30 years with the City of Sanibel to provide affordable housing for people who live and/or work on the island, plus senior and disabled Sanibel citizens. With more than 117 residents occupying 74 rental units and 14 limited-equity ownership homes in 11 complexes throughout the island, CHR is an essential resource for those who provide the services all islanders want to enjoy. CHR residents contribute in numerous ways to island life and often volunteer for/lead island organizations.
CHR depends on donations to help cover the ongoing maintenance, refurbishment and repair of CHR buildings and grounds, and will hold their second annual Mardi Gras fundraiser on March 1, 2014. For more information about CHR, visit sanibelchr.org, stop by their office at 2401 Library Way, or phone 472-1189.