By Ann Marie Byrd, Feature Writer
Imagine this: a world where everyone has a safe and decent place to live. That, in a nutshell, is the vision of Habitat for Humanity. “People who have been volunteering for Habitat for many years understand the core of our mission, which seeks to put God’s love into action,” says Rose MacNeal, President and Board Chair of Habitat for Humanity of Craven County (HFHCC). “We do this by bringing people together in order to build homes, to develop stronger bonds in our community and to provide hope for everyone.”
Seeing the need for affordable housing in Craven County, Habitat for Humanity of Craven County was established in 1989, following in the footsteps of Millard and Linda Fuller who created Habitat for Humanity International back in 1976. To date HFHCC has completed 76 homes. In 2022 they had 441 volunteers that put in over 8,800 hours of time.
Homebuyers attend homeowner education classes and are also required to complete a total of 300 sweat equity hours which includes working at construction sites often at their own home and that of others, as well as volunteering at the Habitat ReStore, the administrative office and doing Community service.
Everyone needs a foundation to build a future, and HFHCC’s current building project in New Bern, made possible through its “Let’s Build Together” initiative, is located at 1707 Aycock Avenue in the Pembroke neighborhood. “We recently completed our first ‘Faith Build’ home on Pearson Street in the same neighborhood. Our Church partners provided the funding and many volunteers from their parishes to help build the home,” says Rose. The homes themselves are airtight and energy efficient, which help set up new homeowners for success by reducing their utility costs in the long term.
Volunteers are always needed at HFHCC, and experience with construction is not necessary. This is hands-on learning! New volunteers work alongside the construction team with the site supervisor, experienced ‘Die Hard’ volunteers and partner families. Tasks include framing, building porches, installing windows and doors, painting, installing cabinets, trim, flooring, siding and working on landscaping. Every new home gets its own shed which is also built by volunteers. Shifts are available Monday-Friday from 8am-noon and 1-4pm, and Saturday from 8am-noon. Volunteers must attend an orientation session. To register, go to cravencountyhabitat.org.
“Women Up” is an initiative that encourages women to volunteer at HFHCC building sites. Every first Saturday of the month, HFHCC asks women to come out for the build. At the first Saturday in January, 17 women from all walks of life came to contribute their skills, used the chop saw, put up sheetrock and framed the shed. In addition to meeting new people and having fun, they also learned new skills from site managers.
This year, HFHCC will again have a Collegiate Challenge during Spring Break. College students forego the beach to come to New Bern and help build homes. Several colleges will be participating this year with over 20 students attending over a three-week rotating period in March.
Later this year, HFHCC will hold its 2nd Annual Up-Scale Re-Sale Auction, so save the date for November 3, 2023. This popular event will be held at The Flame Banquet Center. Tickets are $15 pre-sale and $25 at the door, and there will be both a live and silent auction with gift baskets, experiences, and exceptional pieces from the Habitat ReStore. Anyone looking to sponsor the event or contribute auction items can contact the Administrative offices at 252-633-9599 during regular business hours. Proceeds will help HFHCC continue its mission of building affordable homes in our community.