LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18)– One Lexington woman’s dream of being a homeowner is just a few months away from coming to fruition.
“For me to have this opportunity to come through Habitat to actually be able to call my own, is just a tremendous blessing,” said Mona Ashby.
Over the last several weeks, volunteers have been working tirelessly to make that dream a reality.
“Getting to be with your people at a bigger level than just being in the hospital. We take care of these people day in and day out, so getting to be with them out here and building homes for them is an amazing thing to be a part of,” said Maggie Lange, a volunteer who works at St. Joseph Health.
“At the dedication, when they give that homeowner a set of keys, a Bible, and a hammer, it’s very exciting, very fulfilling for everybody involved,” said Lexington Habitat for Humanity project manager Lee Record.
It takes about 400 volunteers to work on a single Habitat for Humanity home, and the future homeowner becomes a vital part of that process. They are required to put in about 250 sweat equity hours before they can move in. Lee Record said that the homeowner can view that as their downpayment.
Sweat equity includes anything from time spent on the work site or attending classes on how to be a responsible homeowner. Record has a background in construction and joined Habitat three years ago. He said that the relationships he develops with the families make the builds well worth it.
Recent rain hampered progress on the house, but the project is still expected to wrap up in September.
