Habitat partners with faith community to build home for special needs family
July 20, 2016
On Sunday, Habitat for Humanity dedicated their first handicap-accessible home in Greenville, further expanding their mission to provide safe, affordable housing to the community.
The home is being built for the Mayer family, who have three children with various physical disabilities. The home is fully handicap-accessible, and includes interior features that will make caring for their youngest son easier, as well as exterior features such as fencing to meet the needs of the family.
The home dedication is a milestone in a Habitat family’s homeownership journey. As participants in the Habitat program, the Mayers have completed 200 hours of sweat equity and 25 hours of homeownership preparation classes. During the event, build partners and sponsors presented the Mayers with gifts that will prepare them for life as homeowners, including tools and appliances, cleaning supplies. Carol Hoffman, a local artist, presented the family a watercolor, and Nimble Thimbles Quilt Guild donated handmade quilts for each family member.
This unique home was made possible through the generosity of the partners participating in the Faith Build, a coalition of local churches that support the mission of Habitat through donations and volunteering. This year’s Faith Build participants include Aldersgate Methodist Church, Earle Street Baptist Church, John Knox Presbyterian Church, Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd, St. Mary Magdalene Catholic Church, and Trinity Lutheran Church. Many of these churches are longtime partners with Habitat.
“Building this home is outside the realm of our usual work, but we’re dedicated to meeting the needs of the hardworking families that come through our program,” said Monroe Free, Executive Director of Habitat Greenville. “With the support of our Faith Build partners, we look forward to welcoming the Mayer family into their new home where they can flourish.”
About Habitat for Humanity of Greenville County
Through affordable home construction, Habitat for Humanity of Greenville strives to eliminate poverty housing and the social and economic problems it causes. Habitat Greenville received the Greenville Chamber’s Neighborhood Improvement Award in 2015, and was recognized with the 2015 Nonprofit Excellence Award, given by the SC Association of Nonprofit Organizations (SCANPO). Habitat Greenville, chartered in 1985, celebrated its 30th anniversary and construction of its 330th home in 2015. Learn more at www.habitatgreenville.org.
