Habitat for Humanity of North Central CT Announces Executive Leadership Transition
CEO Karraine Moody to resign; COO Kristopher McKelvie named successor
HARTFORD, March 4, 2025 – Today, Karraine Moody, Habitat for Humanity of North Central Connecticut’s (HFHNCC) CEO, announced her resignation for later this year. Kris McKelvie, who was recently promoted to Chief Operating Officer, will take on the Chief Executive Officer role in January 2026.
“Thank you to the board of directors, volunteers, sponsors, supporters, and Hartford and Tolland County communities for entrusting me to lead this organization for over a decade. As I reflect on this incredible journey, supporting working-class families in pursuit of the American dream has been the pinnacle of my career,” said Moody. “This mission has fueled my passion for 20 years, and as I transition to my next chapter, I leave knowing that Habitat for Humanity of North Central CT is poised to continue President Carter’s legacy and be an affordable housing solution for Connecticut families.”
“On behalf of HFHNCC’s Board of Directors, we thank Karraine Moody for her exceptional leadership over the past two decades,” said Crystal Floyd, Board President, HFHNCC. “It has been a privilege to work alongside Karraine. Her vision has propelled our chapter to extend Habitat’s mission beyond our borders, and we are confident that Kris McKelvie’s leadership will build on that legacy, advancing our mission and continuing to make a significant difference in the communities we serve.”
Under Moody’s leadership, HFHNCC:
“As an AmeriCorps volunteer, I witnessed the life-changing effects Habitat homes provide families, and for nearly 20 years, like Karraine, this mission has become my passion,” said Kris McKelvie, COO, HFHNCC. “It has been an honor to be a part of Karraine’s leadership team. As a Site Supervisor and Director of Construction, she entrusted me with leading innovative projects and cultivating strong community relationships throughout Hartford and Tolland Counties. These experiences have prepared me for these executive leadership roles, and I look forward to building upon her vision and furthering sustainable, affordable housing throughout Connecticut.”
McKelvie joined Habitat North Central CT as an AmeriCorps volunteer member in 2007. As a Site Supervisor, he mentored volunteers in building and remodeling homes throughout Hartford County. In 2017, McKelvie became the Director of Construction and led the organization’s efforts to build Zero Energy Ready homes. Under his leadership, the affiliate earned multiple U.S. Department of Energy National Housing Innovation Awards and local recognition as a sustainability leader.
Habitat for Humanity North Central CT has several projects slated for 2025. The affiliate will begin working on building sites in Hartford and Bristol as we finalize the Burnside Hope project in East Hartford. Burnside Hope, a 10-home Zero Energy Ready community, dedication ceremony is scheduled for November 7, 2025.
To learn more about HFHNCC and its commitment to sustainable home building practices, please visit www.hfhncc.org
About Habitat for Humanity of North Central Connecticut
Established in 1989, Hartford Area Habitat for Humanity, now known as Habitat for Humanity of North Central Connecticut, is part of a global, nonprofit housing organization founded on the conviction that every man, woman and child should have a simple, durable place to live in dignity and safety, and that decent shelter in decent communities should be a matter of conscience and action for all.
Habitat for Humanity of North Central Connecticut (HFHNCC) is dedicated to eliminating substandard housing locally and worldwide through constructing, rehabilitating, and preserving homes; by advocating for fair and just housing policies; and by providing training and access to resources to help families improve their shelter conditions.
To date, HFHNCC has helped over 400 families achieve the dream of homeownership. For more information, please visit www.hfhncc.org.
Thank you for supporting Habitat during this season of giving. Information on how to make a gift is below.
• Give online
Make your gift anytime online at www.hfhncc.org/support
• Give by mail
Please make checks payable to Habitat for Humanity & send to:
Habitat for Humanity
PO BOX 1933
Hartford, CT 06144
• Give stock (2 options)
Gifts of stock are welcome! Kindly DTC transfer the shares as follows:
National Financial Services, LLC
499 Washington Blvd-Fifth Floor
Jersey City, NJ 07310
DTC# is 0226
Account number: 636-342034 (Habitat for Humanity NCC)
• Our policy is to record gifts on the date they are issued, as opposed to when we receive them because of the inevitable mail delay. So long as your gift is made online, the stock is transferred, or check is dated before January 1, 2023, it will count as a gift for your 2022 tax filing. Please allow us a few days for gift processing upon our return on January 3, 2023
2022 Department of Energy’s Housing Innovation Award
HARTFORD, Sept. 22, 2022 – Habitat for Humanity of North Central Connecticut (HFHNCC) has been selected as a winner in the U.S. Department of Energy’s 2022 Housing Innovation Award Competition for the Affordable Homes category. The award was given in recognition of the organization’s certified Zero Energy Ready Home (ZERH) located on Forbes Street in East Hartford.
This is the second time the organization has been a Housing Innovation Award recipient. In 2020, HFHNCC was the Grand Prize winner of the Affordable Housing – Single-Family Detached category for its Roosevelt Street Home in Hartford – the organizations’ first Zero Energy Ready home.
“Two years ago, we had a goal to build a home that would make homeownership more sustainable and affordable for our clients,” said Karraine Moody, CEO of Habitat for Humanity of North Central Connecticut. “We achieved that goal, and since then, we have upheld a commitment to build all of our new homes to meet or exceed Zero Energy Ready requirements. This award validates that commitment and fuels our dedication to provide sustainable construction to everyone.”
“As a nonprofit building affordable Zero Energy Ready homes with only volunteers, it is a great honor to win this award and be recognized for our efforts alongside the nation’s best high performance for-profit home builders,” said Kris McKelvie, Director of Construction for Habitat for Humanity of North Central Connecticut. “It’s just incredible that we can compete at this level!”
Completed in March 2022, the Forbes Street house is a 1,600 sq. ft., two-story home with four bedrooms and 1.5 bathrooms. It features airtight construction, triple-pane windows, a ductless mini-split heat pump, ENERGY STAR® certified appliances, and a heat pump water heater. The home also meets Indoor airPLUS and FORTIFIED Roof requirements, is EPA WaterSense and ENERGY STAR 3.1 certified and solar ready.
With a Home Energy Rating System (HERS) index of 34, the home is approximately 60 to 70 percent more energy efficient than a typical new home, saving the homeowners nearly $600 in annual energy costs.
With our service territory expansion, we needed a name that appropriately reflected our connection to Hartford and Tolland counties as well as a regional approach; we will take going forward. We feel that Habitat for Humanity of North Central Connecticut (HFHNCC) achieves those objectives and accurately reflects our grassroots base in north central Connecticut.
We are dedicated to serving both counties and are looking to grow our staff to appropriately support our programs and initiatives in these communities.
For Hartford County, we have several home building and renovation projects lined up for 2022 including a ‘Build with Strength’ concrete home, the historic renovation of 315 Capitol Avenue, and four Zero Energy Ready homes in Windsor.
For Tolland County, we are focused on getting the Vernon ReStore operational, introducing ourselves to the community, establishing partnerships, and broadening the scope of our services to be a resource for community members. We have not dedicated any resources to initiating building projects within Tolland County at this time.
Our primary office will remain in Hartford. We will have an office space and dedicated resources for Tolland County operating out of the Vernon ReStore, which is located at 369 Talcottville Road in Vernon.
It’s been proven through our decades of home building and community work that individuals and families thrive when they have a home in a safe and stable community. With the housing affordability crisis continuing to touch every area of our society, Habitat for Humanity of North Central Connecticut saw the opportunity and need to expand our footprint and services to include Tolland County. Our expansion allows us the opportunity to serve more families and to ensure that affordable homeownership is available throughout the state of Connecticut.
Habitat ReStores are home improvement and donation centers that sell new and gently used furniture, home accessories, building materials, and appliances to the public at a fraction of their retail price. Many who shop our store are new homeowners, DIY’ers, and those looking for great deals or unique finds. The store provides one way for the community to get acquainted with HFHNCC and our services. It will serve as our resource hub in Tolland County, and will eventually help fund homeownership programs in the area. The Bloomfield ReStore has sponsored a number of blighted properties in Hartford County.
Habitat for Humanity of North Central Connecticut’s vision, in alignment with Habitat for Humanity International, is for a world where everyone has a decent place to live. To accomplish this, HFHNCC is looking to move beyond being a home builder only as we are also an equity builder and neighborhood revitalization partner. Our goal is to have our communities within which we work, and organizations with whom we partner see Habitat as a necessary partner in a community-based, family-centered, catalytic economic strategy.
Gladys Berry
When Gladys met Private Samuel O. Berry Sr. in 1959, less than 2 years after his
discharge from the US Army, she never thought they’d be married for 55 years and have
3 children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. At 82 years young, she is aging in
place independently since the passing of her husband and doing well until her recent back
surgery in 2019. She is not able to step into the tub to shower and is in need of a walk-in only shower that also has grab bars and a seat. With a recommendation from her Hartford HealthCare physical therapist & home health aide, a call was made to our Family Service department. After a home repair evaluation and a completed application, Ms. Gladys will soon be able to access her bathroom and be safe.
Fred and Cheryl Lesniewski
Fred, a Connecticut native joined the US Navy in 1971 as a machinist mate on the
submarine USS Patrick Henry (SSBN-599) where he had periscope liberty just once! After
4 years of service he returned where he met and married his wife of 41 years, Cheryl.
They purchased their home in 1978 and have lived there ever since. As they have aged
so has the house and with this year, in the midst of the pandemic, they have had several large areas of
repairs (furnace, water heater, failed appliances) that needed immediate attention.
Cheryl and Fred were overwhelmed and didn’t know where to turn when Fred, trying to step into
the tub to shower, became a challenge. There are also other bathroom repairs that need to be done,
including grab bar installation and flooring. Cheryl shared her concerns with her good neighbor & friend, Susan, who recommended Hartford Area Habitat. Susan’s son had volunteered with Habitat through their Church and said to give us a call. Through the spirit of friendship and Faith, they will soon have their bathroom repaired and a walk-in shower installed through our Hartford Area Habitat for Humanity’s Brush with Kindness program & partnership with the Home Depot Foundation.
Hartford Habitat for Humanity Selected as Grand Prize Winner in Department of Energy’s Housing Innovation Award Competition
Community partnerships assist non-profit in zero energy building design
HARTFORD, Conn. (October 1, 2020) – Hartford Habitat for Humanity has been selected as the Affordable Housing – Single-Family Detached category Grand Prize Winner in the U.S. Department of Energy’s 2020 Housing Innovation Award Competition. The Grand Prize award was given in recognition for the work completed on Hartford Habitat’s Roosevelt Street, Hartford home, which was the non-profit’s first Zero Energy Ready Home.
“For our 30th anniversary, Hartford Habitat had a goal to build a home that makes homeownership more sustainable and affordable for our clients. Thanks to our community partners, including Eversource with their zero energy construction insight and energy efficiency expertise, we were able to make that dream a reality,” said Karraine Moody, Hartford Habitat CEO. “We are honored to receive this recognition and proud to be a part of a community that is dedicated to making sustainable construction available for everyone.”
“From consulting on energy efficiency to on-site volunteering and providing incentives and rebates, we have a long history of supporting Habitat for Humanity organizations and the excellent work they do throughout our region,” said Eversource Vice President of Energy Efficiency Tilak Subrahmanian. “To learn that Hartford Habitat’s Roosevelt Street home has received this national recognition is very exciting and serves as an example of how working together – we can achieve affordable, sustainable housing for all.”
Completed in May 2019, the 1,280 sq. ft., three-bedroom home features airtight construction, high-performance HVAC equipment, ENERGY STAR®-certified appliances, low-flow fixtures, a heat pump hot water heater, and solar panels. With a Home Energy Rating System (HERS) index of -7, the Roosevelt home is approximately 40 to 50 percent more energy efficient than a typical new home, saving the homeowners $4,000 in annual energy costs.
In addition to expertise, incentives and rebates, Eversource donated LED light bulbs and employees volunteered their time to support the home’s construction. Additionally, Eversource-approved contractor Home Energy Technologies, Peter Harding and David Hiscocks, helped educate and guide Habitat staff through the Zero Energy Ready Home requirements.
“We love our home! One of our goals was to become homeowners and have a positive environment for our kids – and we were able to achieve that with this home,” said homeowners Chris and Sharmane Walton. “Having an energy efficiency home has changed our lifestyle a lot, and we are grateful to Habitat, Eversource and everyone who volunteered and dedicated their time, their energy.”
To learn more about Hartford Habitat and Eversource’s partnership and construction of the Roosevelt Street home, please check out this short video. The specification sheet is available here for download.
Dear Habitat Ambassadors:
Please take a minute to email Senators Murphy and Blumenthal urging them to support nonprofits and housing stability. With the House recently passing its proposal for the next COVID-19 relief bill, the process has moved to the Senate to respond. As senators begin forming their priorities, NOW is the time for them to hear from us to ensure our recommendations are included in any Senate proposal.
One way we can do that is by garnering strong bipartisan support over the next few weeks for Senate bills related to our priorities. We want senators to co-sponsor two key bills — the Housing Assistance Fund Act and the Work Opportunities and Resources to Keep Nonprofit Organizations Well (WORK NOW) Act.
The Housing Assistance Fund Act would provide $75 billion to boost foreclosure and eviction prevention efforts in all 50 states. A similar version of the bill was included in the House proposal for the next relief package (the HEROES Act). This policy is also directly aligned with the goals of the Cost of Home campaign.
The WORK NOW Act would provide $50 billion for the nonprofit sector to scale much-needed services and help unemployed individuals get back to work.
It is our hope that with significant support for these bills, they will be included in the Senate priorities and ultimately a part of the final relief bill passed by both chambers.
Senator Murphy: https://www.murphy.senate.gov/contact
Senator Blumenthal: https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/gethelp
