CLAYPOOL – Habitat for Humanity of Kosciusko County held a double home dedication Thursday on South Graceland Avenue in Claypool.
Roberto PerezdeFrias, Habitat Board president, said it was a day to celebrate Thursday because it was a great time for both families.
Habitat Construction Manager Dennis Judy said one of the things learned when creating houses is mistakes are made. Some of them can be fixed, while others can’t.
“It’s just like life. Life throws stuff at us all the time ...,” he said. “But God blesses us in each and every one of those situations, just like I’m going to bless you here today.”
Judy then gave the blessing at the dedication.
Denny Wilson, Warsaw Community Church, said he thought it was appropriate to celebrate the home dedication during Holy Week as Jesus rose from the dead and overcame death and allowed us to experience that through the Resurrection “and He is a God of grace and new beginnings.”
Ben Logan, Habitat for Humanity of Kosciusko County executive director, said the town of Claypool helped Habitat obtain the land by donating it.
Construction started in March 2023 with it being finished within the last couple weeks, he said.
“It was the first time we broke ground on two houses,” Logan said. “We’re just trying to build more houses and change more lives ...”
Both houses are three bedrooms, one bath, built over a 4foot crawl space, with a shed in the back and a split driveway.
When a person applies for the program and they’re accepted, Logan said, they have to put in 250 hours per adult in the household working on their home, other homes or working in Habitat’s resale store, “everything Habitat related.” They also have to go through a financial literacy class, pay a downpayment and eventually have a 0% interest mortgage.
Courtney Dickson, 33, said she never thought owning a home would happen, even when she applied in June or July 2023. She found out in August she was accepted.
She said her favorite part of the house is having their own space with daughter Chloe as they lived in a space with seven other people with varying schedules.
She said her favorite part of being a homeowner is to not be awakened by everyone else in the house and “it’ll be nice. It’ll just be our schedule.”
Tracy Campbell, 51, said she applied twice for a Habitat home. The first time she applied, she didn’t have enough income.
“So something was eating at me” and she decided to apply again and was accepted, she said. She was happy because the living situation she was in previously was unsafe.
Campbell said her favorite part of the house is her room because she hadn’t had a room for herself. She also said she loved the kitchen. Son Kane will live with her in the house.
Her favorite part of being a homeowner now is “that it’s mine and I get to build memories in my home with my family.”