See original story by Leeann Doerflein in The Chronicle Tribune here.
After years of applying and getting denied for loans, Habitat for Humanity of Grant County (HFHGC) made the dream of home ownership possible for the Resnover family.
Rachele Resnover and her three children Rayshard, Felycia and Tyree moved into their new home in Marion this weekend after putting in hours of sweat equity and financial education to make their dream possible.
Family and friends of Resnover and HFHGC volunteers gathered for a ribbon cutting and home blessing Friday afternoon. Though the temperatures were chilly and snow was flying, the family’s excitement warmed the mood.
“It is a blessing. I have waited for this for a long, long time,” Resnover said. “It has taken years to get here.”
Resnover said she had been applying for home loans for years, but finally her application was approved by HFHGC. The single mom of three encouraged everyone in her shoes to keep fighting until they get a home of their own.
“People should never give up on their dream. Keep trying even if you get denied, keep applying until you get it,” Resnover said. “I was never going to give up, even after being denied so many times.”
The family put in about 150 hours of work on the home alongside volunteers from HFHGC, while Resnover spent 150 more hours on financial education. Resnover said she was grateful for the opportunity and the help in making her house a home.
“We put in our sweat equity and we had so many people from Habitat help us,” Resnover said. “We did also a lot of sweat equity hours.”
After the ribbon cutting, Mike Henson, pastor of Bethel Worship Center, gave a prayer of blessing for the home and the Resnover family.
“We ask that you will protect this home and that peace will be here,” Henson said in prayer. “We ask that this family will feel the peace and the love that you have for us.”
The home, located in the 1800 block of South Washington Street, is a unique project for HFHGC in that it is a rehabilitation project rather than new construction. Brittany Howey, HFHGC board president, said the home was donated to the organization several years ago. While rehab projects are less common, Howey said it is not a totally new concept.
“We have (rehabbed homes) in the past,” Howey said. “It is something that more Habitats are starting to do. We still like to stick to our roots of building a home, but when the right opportunity is there to rehabilitate a home we entertain that.”
HFHGC’s mission is to “build simple, decent and affordable homes in partnership with qualified Grant County residents with a dream of homeownership through a zero-interest mortgage financing program,” according to a press release on the home dedication.
Those interested in either volunteering or information about the family selection process may visit granthabitat.com. Board member Mia Erickson said HFHGC is actively seeking volunteers for their upcoming June build in Sweetser, with both skilled and unskilled labor opportunities available.
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