Durham's Habitat for Humanity broke ground this past Saturday on North Carolina's first "affordable green community." Hope Crossing, the 32-home development, is in East Durham near Highway 98 and Junction Road.

The all-day event featured a community picnic and wall-raising on the home of George and Keisha Epps, the first Hope Crossing homeowners. For more than a decade, Habitat of Durham has been committed to energy-efficient construction through a partnership with Advanced Energy in Raleigh, said Maria Ewing Keeler, Faith and Community Relations manager.

Habitat guarantees its home buyers will have heating and cooling bills between $26 and $34 per month. However, with the development of Hope Crossing, Habitat will expand its commitment to sustainable construction practice through the addition of solar water heating and the expansion of energy efficiency in both indoor air quality and water conservation standards.

The sponsor for the first home in Hope Crossing is Burt's Bees, the Durham-based personal care products company.

Hope Crossing home buyers will be working families earning $16,550 to $47,000 annually.

"Habitat offers a life-changing opportunity to all home buyers," said Miguel Rubiera, Durham Habitat's executive director. "... All families deserve this kind of opportunity."

2007 CROP Walk may have been city's biggest

Jenny Shafer, executive director of Durham's CROP Hunger Walk, was willing to speculate this week about the success of Durham's 32nd annual walk held on April 1.

"Although we don't have an official number of walkers, many people say they felt we had the biggest crowd ever at this year's walk," she said. In previous years, crowds have numbered 4,000 walkers.

Shafer said that in spite of the threat of rain, the event was marked by a celebratory spirit, with this year's version of the annual T-shirt selling out even before the walk stepped off from the Duke Chapel steps. She sees these as positive signs the walk will reach its goal of $220,000. And yet another positive signal is that online giving as of April 30 is up about $10,000 over last year's total on the same date.

The CROP organizing team has already set the date, March 16, 2008, for next year's CROP event.

Donations can be turned in to recruiters at each congregation, school or business.

General donations can be sent to Durham CROP Hunger Walk, 1006 Lamond Ave., Durham 27701, at any time during the year. Credit card donations can be made by going to www.durhamcropwalk.org. In past years, the final total realized from the event is not announced until late in the fall.

All money raised is used to feed hungry people, with 75 percent going to global Church World Service projects and 25 percent going to local ministries in the form of grants administered through Durham Congregations in Action.

Event to benefit Horton Road Baptist youth

Horton Road Original Free Will Baptist Church, 1315 Horton Road, is holding a fundraiser for youth today from 8 a.m. to noon at the church.

Proceeds will be used to send church youth to summer camp.

Events include a yard sale, a car wash, a hot dog lunch and a sale of baked goods and Krispy Kreme doughnuts.

Don't go Dutch, go Greek with cookbook

If the memory of Greek pastries is still resonating with your taste buds after the Greek Festival -- held last weekend in Chapel Hill but sponsored by St. Barbara Greek Orthodox Church in Durham -- you might be interested in acquiring a copy of the church cookbook.

"The Grecian Plate" is now in its 10th printing. This award-winner was published in 1984 and demand has been strong throughout the years, said Erie Cocolas of Chapel Hill, who claims to have typed the entire manuscript.

"It just keeps selling and we have heard that people think it is one of the best Greek cookbooks on the market," she said.

The editors of the book were Helen Paliouras of Chapel Hill, Joan Marinos of Durham and the late Lena Mousmoules of Chapel Hill.

Copies are available by sending a check for $21, including tax and shipping, made out to The Grecian Plate to Erie Cocolas, 1298 Wildwood Drive, Chapel Hill, 27517. The book sells for $16.95.

All proceeds from the sale of the cookbook will go to the building fund of the church, which has a new church under construction on N.C. 751.

Vigil to be held for stabbing victim

A paryer vigil to honor the life of David Clifford Cates will be held Thursday at 6 p.m. at 809 Park Ave. Cates was found dead from stabbing on March 2. He was 62 years old.

Prayers will be led by Ruthy Jones, member of the Religious Coaliton for a Nonviolent Durham.

Durham Congregations in Action to meet

Durham Congregations in Action will meet Tuesday at 11:45 a.m. at Durham Friends Meeting, 303 Alexander Ave.

Martha Grove Hipskind, project coordinator of Durham's disaster preparedness initiative, will speak. Benevolent organizations and corporate citizens of Durham have funded the initiative that is developing strategies and resources to help ensure preparedness if disaster hits the area.