Habitat for Humanity is a local group that “is a nonprofit, Christian housing ministry that works to both eliminate poverty housing around the world and to make adequate housing a matter of conscience and action.” To achieve that goal, in part, they build homes that family’s can afford. Yesterday, they completed their 80th home and handed the keys over to a deserving family.
Habitat for Humanity Executive Director, Sheila Dodd, speaks to the crowd.
Habitat employees stand by their hard work.
Issa Issaneu is from the Democratic Republic of Congo in Africa. He moved here with his family in 2007 for school. He went to Greenville College to study management and he currently works at Caterpillar. He has a wife and “three and half babies” as he says (meaning he has three kids and one on the way. I asked Issaneu how it feels to have a home built for him and his family: “I am speechless. Before this we moved around all over town. Now we have a home.”
Christy Tanzola Camarca of Texture Home congratulates the new home owners. Texture Home partnered with Habitat for Humanity to make the new house feel like a home.
This story comes full circle as in Africa, in Issaneu’s hometown, his mother and father were Habitat for Humanity volunteers. “Being apart of this now is like a partnership between [my home country] and where I am here now.” This is his home, “for the first time.”
Issaneu’s wife cutting the ribbon:
Everyone was happy:
And celebrating:
A friend of the family walked up carrying a big speaker blasting out Pharrell’s “Happy”.
Sheila Dodd, Executive Director at Habitat for Humanity, says this project was started last fall. “The way this situation is set up, the family will save about $300 a month” she explains. “Before, they were paying more in rent. And now they’ll be able to save and invest in a home.”
Everyone walked through and admired the beautiful home.
Dodd explains the three criteria for buying a home from Habitat: First: they have to be willing to partner and help with the fundraising and building; Second criteria depends on the family’s need; and the third is their ability to pay the morgage. “This family worked side by side with the volunteers building this house. It means a lot to see them able to raise a family here” said Dodd.
