On a warm, sunny March afternoon, a group of community members gathered in prayer on an empty lot in Demorest. They prayed for blessings for what they were building there: a home for a family in need.
Volunteers with Northeast Georgia’s Habitat for Humanity broke ground late Thursday afternoon on the organizations’ 74th home, alongside the family that would be moving in. The volunteers and family members will work together to build a permanent home for Lisa Thomas and her family, something she never thought she’d have.
“I never thought it would happen in a million years,” Thomas said, standing next to her children. “I’ve never owned a house. Without them, [Habitat for Humanity] I probably wouldn’t be able to.”
Thomas’s daughter, Layla Tucker, says she’s excited for the promise of a home and the opportunity to bring a dog into the family— something she hasn’t been able to have in the apartment she and her family live in.
“This has been a long time— [we’ve been] waiting,” Thomas’s son, Joseph Tucker says. His mother applied for the program three years ago. “I’m just ready to get working.”
Volunteers are ready to get to work on the project, too.
Volunteer builder John Ott has been volunteering with Habitat for Humanity for decades, and at 81 years old, this house will be the 41st one he’s worked on.
“I think the satisfaction that I get when the house is complete, when we do the dedication, we hand the keys over, that is the greatest satisfaction,” says Ott. “Because the family, normally, is moving into a house that is really going to be a home.”
Habitat for Humanity of Northeast Georgia Executive Director Nanette Baughman says that the crowd of people that rallied around the volunteers and family today to show their support is an omen of this project. Much like their others, it’s about community and supporting neighbors.
“As I look at the crowd that we had today, we had a wide spectrum of folks who came to show their good wishes to this family,” Baughman said. “We have volunteers, we have the board, we have community, we have family— and that’s what it takes to make the habitat home a reality. It takes all of us working together as a habitat family to create a home for our next partner families.”
If you’d like to help support Habitat for Humanity of NEGA’s mission, either through financial donations or donating your time, reach out to Baughman via email at [email protected], or by phone at (706) 754-5313.
