Greene Co. Habitat holds triple house dedication
Published 8:00 am Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Our lives are changed constantly by the decisions we make on a daily basis. With the presence of an affiliate of National Habitat for Humanity in Greene County, families here have an opportunity to choose which direction their lives will take; whether to continue living in substandard housing or partner with Habitat and become a homeowner. This monumental step begins with a decision to fill out a Greene County Habitat for Humanity application for a home.
Three families did just that, and the dawning of June 28 was the beginning of the first day of homeownership for them. At 4 o’clock, it was still an extremely hot day, yet more than 115 people chose to attend the GCHFH dedication of the first three homes to be built in the first GCHFH subdivision. Two of these homes were built by volunteers, the homeowners, and their families and friends. The third home was built entirely by Bonacori Custom Homes of Georgia.
Several GCHFH homeowners were in attendance to congratulate the new homeowners on the reality of the culmination of their dream that began two years prior as each of the three signed on to be a partner with GCHFH.
Mrs. Jettie Andrews walked up the new wooden stairs of the West Home and addressed the crowd with confidence. Before saying the prayer as scheduled, she looked at the crowd, smiled, and shared with them, “After we moved into our Habitat home in 2003, my children’s behavior and attitudes changed for the better, and I gained a husband, Derick Andrews. I’m proud to tell you that my daughter, Qenteller Mattox, graduated in the top 10 from Greene County High School. She has joined the National Guard and will be attending West Georgia College.”
Patricia White, GCHFH’s first homeowner, remembered John Ludwig, the founder of GCHFH, as someone “who saw inside of me and thought that I deserved a home.”
White explained to the new homeowners that, “Habitat supplied me with great people during the good and bad times. Treasure this … it is a blessing from the Lord. Hopefully in eight more years, I can say to you, with my deed in my hand, that this is my home!”
Sondra Porter, homeowner number four, is excited to be in the process of returning to school at Athens Tech. Sheila West was glad to share that “life changed for my husband, Ray, our children and me, because we could not find a decent home to live in.”
When the Greene County Airport was expanded, Elaine Armour and her family were displaced, so they had to move to South Carolina. She came back here to live and discovered that GCHFH was taking applications for prospective new homeowners, so she took that step and was accepted into the program becoming homeowner number five. Tina White described her new home, “as a place that provides me and my children with a sense of pride, stability, and safety.”
White spoke of her life before Habitat, “Before my son was five, we had lived in six different houses. I was working two jobs, one of which I am happy to say, I was able to quit recently so that I can go back to school.”
The three families honored recently for their decisions to own their own homes are already sharing their experiences with other prospective families as they help guide those families to a day of their own house dedication. Jarvis and Shanita Hall have been very patient during the long wait for their home and as Jarvis commented, “We have had a lot of setbacks, but God gave us an even better place to build our house.”
Johnny and Shirley West proudly watched as their son, Montavious, was honored by the GCHFH pros — the green shirt volunteers — with a yellow shirt depicting all of the many extra hours that he spent working on their house. Karen Mertz, Yolanda Walker’s mentor, described Yolanda as a “person who is dependable, reliable, and stayed true to her heart making this a day her boys will never forget.”
Since 1997, Greene County Habitat for Humanity has guided 24 families in their quest to change their lives. Not only have they changed the direction of their own lives, but these families have also helped to increase the county tax digest, have increased the chances of their children doing well in school, have increased the adults’ chances to return to school, and have helped others in Greene County understand that they too can become homeowners. GCHFH is a successful mortgage company with 100 percent of the homeowners still in their homes. The life skills workshops surround the owners with knowledge to further their success. The Rev. Roi Johnson, the guest preacher for the afternoon’s dedication, summarized GCHFH’s presence in the community, “Habitat has brought a vision that promotes scholarship, promotes citizenship, promotes leadership, and promotes responsibility.”
Anyone who would like to join GCHFH in changing lives is asked to please call (706) 453-1718.