Ninth Annual Nissan Build
Nissan is celebrating 10 years of partnership with Habitat for Humanity by helping to build homes around the world, including here in Franklin.
Our 9th Annual Nissan build kicked off on October 15th on Natchez St. More than 200 Nissan employees will donate their time over four weeks to complete the two-story home, which is slated to be dedicated on November 13th.
Nissan is one of our two whole-home sponsors this year, and we can't thank them enough for their on-going commitment to building and helping families right here in their back yard!
Click here to see more photos from the Nissan Build.
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We are excited to introduce our Nissan Build partner, Merita Polk. Ms. Polk has overcome a great deal of adversity the past few years, but you would never know it from her her never-ending smile and positive attitude. Diagnosed with cancer in 2010, she spent a year going through chemotherapy and radiation. She says that during that time that she "struggled, but never lost hope."
Merita's living conditions for the last five years have also been trying. Her 400-square-foot, one-bedroom apartment in Franklin needs a lot of work, as she explains, "My apartment has mold, the roof and the walls leak, and my landlord rarely makes repairs." Her apartment has only a wall unit air conditioner
. "I heat my apartment with a kerosene heater in the winter," she notes. "I tried putting up plastic sheeting to the kitchen to try to keep the warmth in my living room and bedroom, but my pipes froze. Summer can be just as hard. One month last year, my electric bill was $300!"
Merita has worked hard and is counting down the days until she can move in to her new home."This Habitat for Humanity program has renewed my hope that my future will be better. I just feel blessed to be in this program," she says. "I am at a lost for words. All I can say is thank you."
Merita will close on her home before Christmas and will spend this winter toasty warm.
Click here to read more about Merita.
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On Saturday, October 10, we dedicated two new homes in Columbia, TN to the Jordon and Hammond families. These are the 7
th and 8
th homes of 10 that we will complete this year by partnering with local churches, civic groups, businesses, and the Tennessee Housing Development Agency to provide local families with the opportunity to purchase their own homes with a zero-interest mortgage.
When Veronica Jordon learned she had been accepted into the Habitat Homeowner program last year, she couldn't stop her tears of joy and couldn't wait to get started on her home build. The bricks and sticks of her home were funded by The
Estate of Mildred Forkois,
First Assembly of God - Columbia,
First Farmers Bank
,
Lasko Products
,
Optum Healthcare
,
and
Federal Home Loan Bank of Cincinnati
. For 10 weeks, Veronica labored alongside community volunteers from the Columbia Noon Rotary, Destiny Church, Grace Church of the Nazarene, Maury Hills Church of Christ, and Thompson's Station Church. She did everything from moving wall panels to trim painting and always with the brightest smile on her face.
Veronica
was born and raised in Columbia, TN and has worked for Wal-Mart for 10 years. She has two sons, Antwan (12) and Aquavion (7). Aquavion suffers from severe epilepsy and also struggles with a speech delay. Her new home and its fenced in yard are a godsend for her family. "Aquavion makes sounds to communicate but cannot form words yet," she explains. "Also, he has been known to wander off, so I spend a great deal of time watching over him. My boys now have a safe place to play. I want the sponsors to know that they are helping to change my life and the lives of my sons."
"We are very excited about the house being finished and seeing all of our hard work come together," noted Antonio Hammond. "We have waited a long time for this moment, but it has been well worth it. I would like to say that this has been an experience like no other! Throughout this process we have met some amazing people that took time on their weekend, despite having lives of their own, to come lend a helping hand to complete strangers. We can't wait to be able to create memories in our home from birthday parties to Thanksgiving and Christmas. It's going to be a wonderful feeling to actually invite family to our own home this Thanksgiving. We would like to say thank you to each and every person who has helped us on this journey. It is a dream come true thanks to all of you."
Our partner families will close on their new homes next month - just in time for the holidays!
Click here to see photos from the Jordon Dedication.
Click here to see photos from the Hammond Dedication.
Click here to see build photos from the Jordon home.
Click here to see build photos from the Hammond home
.
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Billy Whipple and homeowner
Carrika Tellington.
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Best Wishes to Billy!
We are sad to report that Billy Whipple, our construction director, is moving back to Austin, TX at the end of the year.
As you might know from working alongside him on the build site, Billy brings great energy, humor, and commitment to everything he does. He has been a huge asset to our Habitat affiliate and will be greatly missed. Please join us in wishing him all the best on his new adventure!
His are big shoes to fill, but we are seeking a seasoned professional to serve as new our construction director.
Click here to learn more about the position and applying for it.
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Nashville Native Martin Plumlee joined our Board of Directors in September 2015.
Martin graduated from West Point in 1994, receiving a Bachelor of Science in Economics, as well as a commission as an Infantry Second Lieutenant. He earned his MBA in International Business from Tennessee Technological University in 2006 and currently is serving as the as the executive officer/deputy commander of the 304th Military Police Battalion in Nashville.
Over the past 15 years, Martin has excelled in recruiting, specialty sales, and management roles with global companies such as General Electric, Johnson & Johnson, and Robert Half International. In 2012, he founded Plumlee & Associates LLC, with his business partner (and wife) Amy. The firm is working diligently and will soon complete certification as a Veteran-Owned Small Business (VOSB).
Martin's relationship with Habitat for Humanity began in 2010 during a volunteer service/clean-up project at the ReStore in Nashville. This sparked his interest in serving the Habitat for Humanity mission further in his own community.
"Our family is blessed to call Williamson County home. My goal is to contribute in a significant way by spreading the vision, mission, and purpose of Habitat in an area that is not always affordable to families. This is meaningful and important work; I am honored to join the board to support this fantastic organization and help nearby families. Habitat's mission is about 'inspiring hope and life-changing stability for families through homeownership.' This is a noble and important cause."
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30% Off at the ReStore this Friday!
Stop
by
the ReStore on October 30 for a storewide sale! Everything will be 30% off. We have an array of gently used and new home improvement items such as furniture, home accessories, lighting, building materials, and appliances - all at deeply discounted prices.
A great way to stay up-to-date on what is new at the ReStore is to join its dedicated Facebook page. We post pictures of merchandise weekly, as well as details on special sales.
Also, remember we accept donations of gently-used furniture and other household items. For free, fast pickups, please call the ReStore at 615-690-8094.
The ReStore is open 10:00am - 6:00pm Tuesday - Saturday and is located at 1725 Columbia Avenue in Franklin.
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Columbia Community Meeting
Thanks to the partnership of local churches, businesses, and foundations, we will construct 10 new homes by the end of this year! However, we still need additional help to sustain and grow our ministry.
To bring interested parties together, First Farmers Bank has generously offered to host an informational breakfast meeting on Tuesday, November 17 at their branch at 901 Nashville Hwy, Columbia, TN.
It will be a morning of fellowship, as we share this year's accomplishments and challenges and discuss HFHWM's 2016 goals. Habitat partner families will join us to share their personal stories and how Habitat's mission has changed their lives. In addition, our staff will present opportunities for local churches, businesses, and civic groups interested in sponsoring and volunteering on home builds in 2016.
Please join us and learn how you or your organization can be part of Habitat's efforts in 2016:
- Tuesday, November 17
- First Farmers Bank at 901 Nashville Hwy, Columbia, TN - Upstairs Meeting Room
- 7:30am to 8:30am
- Breakfast will be served.
There is no cost for the event. Please have each person attending sign up
at https://hfhwmcolumbiameeting.eventbrite.com so we can plan food accordingly.
Please contact Jennee Galland at jgalland@hfhwm.org or 615-550-5617 if you have any questions.
We would like to thank First Farmers Bank for hosting this event.
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Hammers & High Heels 2016
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We are excited to announce that next year's Hammers & High Heels will be held on Friday,
April 22, 2016 at the The Factory at Franklin's Liberty Hall.
Mark your calendars! We have so much in store
for the big night, and the best part - every dollar raised supports our 2016
Women Build home.
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Habitat Seeks Homeowners for 2016
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Do you know a family interested in working to become a Habitat homeowner?
Habitat Williamson-Maury is accepting applications for families interested in affordable housing both in Williamson and Maury Counties. Veterans are strongly encouraged to apply.
Qualification information can be found on our website. For questions please contact
Wayne Weaver at 615-550-5618.
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