"The best country in the world is a donation!" - mayor summey

Saturday, we celebrated with a home dedication for Annette Lemon and her family. They are moving in as we speak..or I type....hmmm...

Lots of smiles! Hugging! Clapping! People! Food! Good times!

Above is me and Annette! She's become a great friend...gives good advice and has a great giggle with an echoing affect!

These are the Lambright brothers with Annette. They grew up on the piece of property where we built the Lemon's home. Both brothers have moved away, so they donated the land to Habitat. They both came in town with their families to see the finished house and celebrate with the Lemon family!

Here is Bakker Bishop and his son. His family foundation has sponsored (I believe ) 154 Habitat Home construction projects! He and his wife just had a baby girl. I think it's a pretty cool example, as he states, to set for your children on giving.

One of the sweetest parts of the day was after the ceremony....I was looking for Annette's sons and I found Trea (11) hiding in a back bedroom. I asked what he was doing in there all alone...he said he just wanted to hang out in his room! Be still my heart....he is the sweetest ever!

Annette's other son, Greg (22) and his son, baby Greg stole the show! Here is baby greg buldoze-hugging Isabella, my co-worker's daughter.

 

Lots of volunteers who helped build the house came out to celebrate as well!

Mayor of North Charleston Keith Summey gave the dedication speech. My favorite line was what someone once told Mr. Summey: "The best country in the world isn't the U.S., it's a donation." Building this house was a combination of lots of different types of donations. Land, money, materials, time, sweat, blistered hands, fear of heights...all things most like to keep for themselves or avoid giving....so in this case....I think the quote is true! Thanks to all who donated!

Pecans from another world

I spent Thanksgiving in Gordon, GA with my mom's side of the family. This is where my mom and her 4 siblings grew up. I relate it best to Mayberry. It's small...one caution light....everyone knows everyone.
A few cousins and I went into the "D & L Video" store and the lady working immediately asked whose grandkids we were. You kind of stand out when you're not from there.
Everyone knows my grandparents. They lived in Gordon their whole lives. My Papa was a train engineer.

My mom said the first time she came home to visit since she had Stephen (my oldest brother) that they Gordon newspaper wrote an article on it. The paper also used to annouce her weekend visits from college.

One of the great things about Gordon is the pecan trees! I have a hard time buying pecans at the grocery store at $10+ for one small tray...C'mon! Really?!?! Here they are all over the place, but it requires a little more work....some picking, cracking, and shelling, and I've got gallons of pecans to last me...well, honestly not very long beause I eat them too fast!

Here are my cousins with a bag-full of pecans - Justin (aka Jacward....any twilight fans figure that one out?) and Joe...both 17 yrs old ....hearthrobs if you ask me!

This is the home that my Papa built....and I mean he built it all....dug the foundation out and all! And yes, that's a pecan tree right in front of it! =)

It's a great home! And seems like a great way to grow up and live with such close community...where neighbors drop in (often unannounced) just to check on each other, to drop off some fresh baked goodies and cakes, to look out for one another, to not worry about locking your doors. Is that really all in the past? Is it really a world that doesn't exist anymore?

Cindy's Gentle Vision

Cindy, I think you're one of those women who not only can do anything...you actually do everything!

Here is Cindy and her daughter Jenifer volunteering during National Women Build Week (May 2009)

Cindy volunteers on our Women Build Leadership Team!...amongst her many volunteerism efforts! She donated a sweet photography package to our annual auction fundraiser. This past Saturday, she hosted a fundraiser for us called "This One's For the Girls." She had mini photo sessions and printed and 8x10 if they donated to Charleston HFH!

She take some very touching and beautiful photography. Check out her website: http://www.cindysgentlevision.com/

She works hard on the build site too! She's a mom of 3 and drives back and forth between Charleston and Ohio all the time! Thanks for making Habitat part of your family!

A little piece of my home...old and new

So, this post is a little more personal...but worth sharing nonetheless. =)

I met Jeremy when I was 13-ish and were friends all through high school (he usually had a crush on friends of mine). We didn't talk much through college. We lived near each other in Chicago without even knowing it and "reconnected" while both living in VA Beach! He helped me move to Charleston and is my most-visited friend here! He's a great friend...someone you can revert into behaving like your 13 with again! =)

Here we are going back to 13....aka, through a space time continuum (STC):

Jeremy brought his friend Kelley with him. In this picture, they display their most natural expressions:

We spent the majority of Saturday walking around Charleston:

 

Above is the Unitarian church in downtown Charleston. It has a large, unique and very pretty  graveyard as its backyard.

These were two very unique headstones....

A tree trunk and a coral/flower tree that looks like it's going to eat you:

There are lots of art galleries in Charleston too...mostly small private ones.

Here were a few pics on the street that I found entertaining:

Someone also had the brilliant idea to model in front of this house.

You vote on who won:

Nominee #1: Kelley Shaw

Nominee #2: Jeremiah (Freak-dog) Rees

Nominee # 3: Me

Only your votes will determine the winner!

Fun weekend! Thanks for coming out to Chucktown J & K!!!

Can you balance 10 nails on top of one?

Question: If you hammer a nail into the ground...can you balance 10 individual nails on top of that one nail?

My friend, Gene Lundgrin can do it! And he would ask you to try without seeing the picture below...and you would think it's impossible...even though you know it's not since he's asking...right?

Here's a few things about Mr. Eugene....

1. 
   
   He has helped build over 20 homes with Charleston Habitat for Humanity over the past 8-9 years - he comes every Thursday!
   
2. 
   
   He loves working with college student volunteers...especially the girls! (admittedly so)
   
3. 
   
   Gene pays attention....I made muffins for volunteers one Thursday, so he thought I enjoyed baking. The next week, he brought me a bread starter so that I could bake every week!...another example...a girl that used to work here, Angie - she liked to salsa dance - so he bought her a salsa-dancing skirt!
   
4. 
   
   Gene fought in WWII
   
   
   
5. 
   
   Gene is from Kansas
   
   
   
6. 
   
   He loves to wear his Habitat t-shirts - and will speak to anyone he ever sees wearing one!
   
   
   
7. 
   
   He's a pro! He's a huge help!!! He's a hero! =)
   
   
   Here's Gene talking with a group of volunteers from Villanova University:
   

Here's Gene teaching a volunteer how to put shingles on the roof:

...did I mention he loves college-aged girls?...it's true, but he's happily married too! ;)

Now who wouldn't want to come volunteer with this guy???

THREE STORIES of how HOME changed their lives

Old to New

This used to be someone's home. The family donated the house and land to Habitat. If we could have repaired it, we would have. But, it was more affordable to start from the beginning.

So, volunteers tore it down! Amazing!

4 months later.....

411 Volunteers later....

2,100 hours later.....

EarthCraft Certified

It's simple, right? But decent...and most of all affordable!

This home opens so many opportunities for the family that will be living here! Instead of paying over $800/month for a substandard rental, they will now own a home (yes, morntage payments, taxes, insurance...all the escrow items), but it's affordable. No Habitat partner family pays more that $450/month total. Look how much disposable income that opens up. Now this family can focus on better education...better food....better insurance and medical care....they now have equity!
This family is so excited about their home...not having to all share one tiny bathroom...having a yard to play in....having a home!
Shall I go on? I promise not to be a commercial for Habitat....just showing off a recently completed home....amazing how many hands contributed to it! Thanks all 411 of you!

Let's start from the beginning

Kelley Pruitt started as my co-worker. She's the one in the middle. She interviewed me and hired me. This picture was taken during my very first week in Charleston. We were on the build site with the Major family. Kelley did the equivalent of about 3 different positions, and when she got pregnant (about 7 months along in the picture), that's when I was hired! I learned everything I know about my job from her!....thanks Kelley!

My first week was a whirlwind like anyone would expect from new job and new city. It's hard to remember many specifics. But I remember Kelley....

....I remember she didn't look at all like she sounded. (I was hired over the phone)

....I remember her being a very happy pregnant lady

...she's a multitasker....always on the phone...while driving a stick shift [fast], eating, and answering my questions

....she took me out to lunch my first day to Saffron...she actually seemed interested in me

....she told everyone to pronounce my name "La-rell"

....she was very convicted about everything she said...and she's not shy about telling you about herself or about her love for the Lord!

....and she's not too self-conscious or embarrassed to be really silly (ie, making weird animal noises)

....she's "real" - never fake but just very genuine and whole-hearted

...and she welcomed me into the Habitat family! She's taught me a lot...still does!

Things that would not surprise me about Kelley....

...if she picked food off the floor and ate it

....if she gave you a truly honest answer

....someone never said anything bad about her

Now, 2 1/2 years later, we're friends! I can talk with her...even cry with her! I babysit her adorable daughter Bella, and hopefully her baby-on-the-way!!! She's one of my favs! Love you girl!

(krystal, me, Kelley, and Stacia - the girls at Habitat)

A Test

I"m not an avid writer. I don't claim to be a talented one either. But I feel it would do justice to the volunteers that I'm surrounded by in my work to share some things I've learned and observed.
I work for Charleston Habitat for Humanity as the Director of Volunteer Services. We have roughly 2,500 volunteers every year that serve for lots of different reasons in lots of different ways. Some I interact with closely, some from a distance. But, if I would just pay a little closer attention, I think I would have stories to fill this blog multiple times a day!

So, the test is to write about these things. There are so many great people who make the organization that employees me possible, and they do it for free. I want to write about them...not all moving stories by any means...but just observations....things about building HOMES...things that these 2,500 other hopefully observe with me...that it does all start at home!

Also, I know all of you reading may not share my faith, but I would be missing the point if I left out what I truly think of as "home." Ultimately, home is something I hope for...a place where all things are made new...a place where all of the bad things that don't make sense to us are wiped away...a place where we can see our Maker face-to-face....and not be distracted by the petty things of material life, and spend eternity joyfully worshipping the One who is worthy - "Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" Then he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true." - Revelation 21:1-5