Habitat and BUMC enter into partnership
Photo by Sandra Stone By SANDRA STONE The Meade County chapter of Habitat for Humanity has been muddling along for the last several years, making progress in fits and starts while finishing one home and nearing completion on two others. With those two houses nearly complete, it was time to look to the future, to determine the next course of action. For many years, members of Brandenburg United Methodist Church have been involved with Meade County Habitat for Humanity and have helped with donations of time, treasure and talents. But they knew there was more to do, said Leona Cannady, team leader of the BUMC Habitat for Humanity team. The church body needed to become involved at every aspect and build a Habitat home for a needy family from start to finish. It was time for these two groups to come together. And come together they did. During a joint meeting Aug. 2 between the Meade County chapter of Habitat for Humanity and the Brandenburg United Methodist Church Habitat for Humanity team, the two entities entered into a letter of agreement to build a home for a needy family. They then entered into a letter of agreement with JoAnn Miller, who is raising her two granddaughters, Angelica Miller and Brianna Rybarczyke. Miller was advised at the meeting that night of the family selection committee’s choice. “I feel so blessed and so fortunate,” she said. Miller committed to work side-by-side with the BUMC team as her family’s home progresses from dream to reality. BUMC member Linda Wood has accepted the role of nurturer for the family. Cannady said she felt guided to ask Wood to take on that role, and Wood said there was a lot to learn, but she was willing to do it as they went along. “We know the Lord is at work in this,” said Cannady of the excitement already building among church members for this project. “We have a lot of good people in our church who will be out there working on the house.” The BUMC Habitat team committed to raise approximately 50 percent of the construction costs – $30,000 – with Meade County Habitat for Humanity matching that amount. As of Aug. 2, $11,530 had already been given with $24,450 pledged. Also as of Aug. 2, 104 people had offered their time and talents to the project. “We’re ready to start,” said Cannady, not only the team leader but its most enthusiastic cheerleader. The groundbreaking will be Aug. 27 with a plan to have the framing completed during the Saturday and Monday of Labor Day weekend. All hands are welcome, and the project is open to any member of the community with a desire to help. For more information about this project, call the church office at (270) 422-2810. Habitat for Humanity: What it is and how it works Habitat for Humanity is a nonprofit, ecumenical Christian housing ministry which seeks to eliminate poverty housing and homelessness. Habitat has built more than 200,000 houses around the world, providing more than 1,000,000 people in more than 3,000 communities with safe, decent, affordable shelter. Through volunteer labor and donations of money and materials, Habitat builds and rehabilitates simple, decent houses with the help of the homeowner (partner) families. Habitat houses are sold to partner families at no profit, financed with affordable no-interest loans. The homeowners’ monthly mortgage payments are used to build still more Habitat houses. Families in need of decent shelter apply to local Habitat affiliates. The affiliate’s family selection committee chooses homeowners based on their level of need, their willingness to become partners in the program and their ability to repay the loan. Habitat is not a giveaway program. In addition to a down payment ($500 in most cases) and the monthly mortgage payments, homeowners invest hundreds of hours of their own labor – sweat equity – into building their Habitat house and the houses of others. The average cost of a Habitat house in the United States is $60,000. Habitat houses are affordable for low-income families because there is no profit included in the sale price. Mortgage length varies from seven to 30 years. When the Meade County chapter sells a house for $50,000, the chapter takes a second mortgage on it for another $50,000. The second mortgage is a deterrent against the homeowner turning around and selling the house for profit. The second mortgage is then forgiven dollar for dollar based on the payments made.
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Photo by Sandra Stone
