Sandhills Habitat October E-newsletter

Important Steps in the Future of Habitat

Sandhills Station

On Monday, October 28th, the Town of Aberdeen approved the planned development as presented by Habitat for a 103-acre mixed-income, mixed-use community, addressing various housing needs within the community.

Since receiving a transformative $3.5 million grant from Mackenzie Scott in 2022, Habitat has been working to amplify its work and provide sustainability in a time when rising land costs are forcing many Habitat affiliates to shudder their doors or limit their work. Several additional months of hard work to find the right property(s) to secure the future of the mission were needed before negotiating the purchase of a perfectly situated property nearly at the epicenter of the Sandhills Habitat footprint which covers Moore, Richmond and Hoke Counties.

The following year was spent recruiting partners and advice on how to best leverage this space to increase service to the community. We continued to recall the requests of our local employers who have always appreciated the ways in which we have supported many of their staff. They also had an increased need for immediate housing as well as housing for some of their colleagues who don’t match our traditional demographic maximum of 80% median income. This property is our opportunity to expand our reach, but it relies on increased partnership throughout the community. We are eager to bring everyone together in this unique solution – so stay tuned! Stay informed with The Pilot Newspaper links below.

Approved by Aberdeen

Editorial

Peace and Grace,

Amie N. Fraley

Executive Director

2024 CEO Day

Area Leaders Swing a Hammer with Employees

There are many pieces to the puzzle regarding affordable workforce housing in the Sandhills. One of the most important is partnering with area leaders who have first-hand knowledge of the frustration of hoping to hire new talent only to find that the offer is declined due to an inability to find affordable housing. We need to provide for those who work so that we can access the amenities we enjoy in this community.

The 2024 CEO Day was filled with our family partners and their employers swinging a hammer for affordable housing! We raised the walls for the Tincia Reynolds family home with the help of her co-workers from Monarch. Homebuyer Shalena Hill was there with support from Pinehurst Healthcare & Rehabilitation, and Mr. Zane Vogel from Spiritus Systems was there to support his employee, Madira Hoffman, the Women Build home recipient. TJ McCaskill from Carolina Eye Associates and Lance Stucky of The O'Neal School represented two other employees who partner with Habitat. We were also joined by 12 members from the YouthBuild of Sanford!

Mr. Zane Vogel from Spiritus Systems

CEO Build 2024

Shalena Hill with Pinehurst Healthcare & Rehabilitation

Tincia Reynolds with

Monarch

Lance Stucky of The O'Neal School

TJ McCaskill of Carolina Eye Associates

YouthBuild of Sanford

Proudly announcing our New Family Partners

Class of 2025

Fall is our favorite time of year, not because the leaves display color or the abundance of pumpkin spice but because we usher in our new family of partners who will work beside us to build the home of their dreams. It sounds like the lottery, but it's not. Our home buyers undergo a challenging application process that checks credit, background, and employment history to ensure they can pay an affordable home loan. If selected, they will invest 200 hours of sweat equity and attend homeowner preparation classes to swing the hammer beside our team and volunteers.

Please welcome our Home Buyer Class of 2025 and introduce yourself when you meet in the ReStore or on the build site. We are proud of their determination and will give them the support they need to be successful homeowners!

Home Buyer Construction Orientation

From Bluebird Hill

When you live in Bluebird Hill it’s only right to have your own bluebird house! Those were hardcore volunteer, Frank Pacifico’s words as he presented the bluebird house he built to future homebuyer, Vickie. Just another way our volunteers go above and beyond to build not just houses but homes…homes for hardworking and deserving families! Thank you, Team!

Apostles Build 2024 Home Dedication

Volunteers, sponsors, and home buyers gathered to witness the dedication of two homes and celebrate with the families moving into the homes as their own. Folks met on Page-Cunningham Road in Aberdeen and were united in their happiness for the families acquiring their homes. Cars lined both sides of the street and even around the corner as folks continued to arrive to celebrate.

Shante McLaughlin, sponsored by the Apostles Build was the second to receive the blessings. Pastor Jabe Largen led the dedication of Shante's home with his prayer of blessing. An award was established in honor of Pastor David Helms, who included Habitat in his ministry by encouraging participation through prayers, funding, and volunteer action on the building sites. Pastor Jabe, who emulates this enthusiasm for Habitat, was the first recipient of this award.

Habitat homeowners and homeowners-in-progress do not need to be of any particular faith or even have any religious affiliation to qualify for help to build their homes. Shante, however, is very active in her church. Her pastor also shared a few words for the dedication. Each homeowner also received a Bible and an American flag.

The pleasant weather added to the relaxed and happy atmosphere. Delightful refreshments were served as people mingled, introductions were made, and the new homeowners provided tours of the homes. Shante is delighted to have a home where she can allow her son to ride his bike safely. All attendees enjoyed the joy of accomplishment.

November Faith Relations Meeting

Save the Date

Wednesday, November 20th

12:00 noon

Brownson Memorial Presbyterian Church

330 S May Street

Southern Pines, NC 28387

Women Build Update

From the Build Site

The women at Forest Creek Golf Club generously invest their time on the Women Build sponsored home every year, filling not just one but two days during the build. We are thrilled to see seasoned volunteers return year after year and share their experiences with the newcomers.

International Women Day Celebration

Saturday, March 8th

Brunch

Women Build

Aetna Community Health Fair is on Friday, November 22nd, from 8:00 am until 1:00 pm at the new Addor Build Site on Addor Road directly across from 370 Addor. Aetna's mobile unit will provide essential health services like blood pressure screenings, BMI checks, sample-sized healthy smoothies, and Virtual Reality experiences. Everyone is welcome, and we look forward to seeing you there!

Over 5,000 Hours dedicated to Habitat That's like working a fulltime job for 2.5 years!

Volunteering looks different for everyone. We appreciate everyone who has joined our team, whether you sign up for a day or 20 days. At Habitat, if a volunteer contributes over 5,000 hours, we honor your legacy with a street named after you! We are excited to introduce Nancy Court. Nancy Kees has over 5,000 volunteer hours under her crown, a reason we call her "Your Highness." She works the register at the ReStore, and her wit has dazzled many customers. We are so grateful we named a court in Addor after her and celebrated her magnificent reign!