Habitat for Humanity Housewarming Gifts

• Habitat provides decent shelter to help eliminate poverty housing and homelessness in the world. house image by Byron Moore from Fotolia.com

  Habitat for Humanity builds new homes for low-income families across the nation. Habitat has built over 350,000 houses around the world and provided shelter for over 1.75 million people, according to Habitat's website. Habitat homeowners must still make a down payment and monthly mortgage payments, and are required to put in 300 to 500 hours of labor -- "sweat equity" -- into construction of their house or another Habitat house. Once these families are settled in their new home, a committee takes a housewarming gift to them of household items that the family might not be able to buy.

Kitchen Basket

• Purchase large stockpots and fill them with kitchen items the family will need, such as a can opener, utensils, a spatula set, measuring spoons, dish towels, oven mitts and other small kitchen accessories. Other items you can include in the kitchen collection basket are a cookbook and a recipe holder.

Neighborhood Help

• Put together some useful brochures, coupons, local maps and a guide of the city. This will help the family know their whereabouts and the food that is available nearby. You could even include a couple of supermarket gift certificates for the family to buy groceries. Make a list of free local attractions the family might be interested in visiting.

Toolbox Welcome

• Fill a large toolbox full of households the family might need. Items such as Super Glue, a hammer, picture hooks, nails, basic screwdrivers and light bulbs will come in handy for basic house repair. These are items many new homeowners might forget to buy but will definitely need along the way.

Non-Perishable Food

• Take a large wicker basket full of non-perishable food items to the new homeowners. You can include items such as canned foods, cake mixes, beans and rice. These items can be stored without refrigeration for a long period of time. Present this basket to the new homeowners.

Children's Basket

• Make a large basket for the children, as they are excited about their new home too. Get a large basket and fill it with coloring books, crayons, a few small toys, a kite and puzzles. This will give the children something to welcome them into their new home.

Baked Goodies

• Bake several goodies to take to the new homeowners. Make cupcakes, brownies, cookies or a homemade cake. Put the cupcakes, brownies or cookies in a nice container for delivery. Find cookie cutter in the shape of a house and decorate the cookies with their new address. If the homeowners move in during the holidays, deliver their baked goodies in holiday-themed bakeware they can keep.