Habitat for Humanity of NW Metro Atlanta

On the heels of Marietta Middle School teacher Methany having her new Habitat house dedicated and mortgage closing papers filed, iThink Community Foundation, of iTHINK Financial surprised the new homeowner and her family today with a fully furnished and decorated house. The dedication was held recently for the first house of the Marietta Public Service Housing Program, made possible by a partnership between the City of Marietta, Habitat for Humanity of NW Metro Atlanta and house sponsor, Berkadia After the initial shock and tour of the furnished rooms for she and her husband Kelcey, daughter and two grandsons, Methany said, “It’s now a home”. In addition, the credit union presented Methany and Kelcey with a $500 check for any essentials they might need moving in. Methany is a Social Emotional Learning Teacher at Marietta Middle School where she has taught for more than for six years. She also serves as a Cheer and Lacrosse coach. Many of her students gathered with Methany to show their support on her dedication day. She says she loves “paying it forward” as a teacher. The family had lived in Cartersville in a too-small townhouse without a yard for the grandchildren. Now, Methany is minutes from work. “Thank you for all that you do in the community for people like me,” says Methany. “You truly are God sent, and I pray that as you continue to bless others, God will bless you even more.” “It took a lot of partners to bring this accomplishment to fruition today,” says Jessica Gill, CEO, Habitat for Humanity of NW Metro Atlanta. “Living where you work is a key component in building community, and partnerships like this one are fundamental to make local homeownership achievable, as well as thanking the public servants who serve us and our children.” The mission of the iTHINK Community Foundation is to improve the lives of children and families in the communities they serve. iTHINK Financial is a state chartered, federally insured credit union with more than $1.5 billion in assets and more than 95,000 Members. iTHINK Financial has 22 branches located throughout Florida and Georgia and approximately 380 employees. The City of Marietta donated a total of six city-owned lots, and $500,000 of federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding for the Marietta Public Service Housing Program. Three homes will be constructed in 2023 and will have a maximum sales price of $250,000 each.

This past Saturday, the Cobb Interfaith Habitat Coalition completed their final day of the 2023 sponsored build in Mableton. Volunteers worked on laying the sod, installing the mailbox, and making interior touch ups on the home, alongside future homeowner, Vernita, and Habitat homeowners Leda and Carissa came out to assist as well. We were also honored that the members of the Knights of Columbus from St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church provided lunch and set it up cookout style, grilling out on the build site! Future homeowner, Vernita, is always willing to lend a helping hand, a quality that has allowed her to create a family environment at work as a General Manager at McDonalds where she has worked for 21 years. She chose this role because it gave her the flexibility to spend time with her energetic and bubbly daughter Diamond - who is now 21. The family lives in a Villa Rica apartment where the living conditions bring stress to the life they have built for themselves. Vernita didn’t think she would be able to afford the down payment on a home, but now that she is approved for Habitat for Humanity’s affordable homeownership program, she is so excited to have a place to call home – where she can spend time outside doing yard work. Vernita and Diamond look forward to new energy and new blessings thanks to this opportunity for a new home sponsored by the Cobb Interfaith Habitat Coalition.

From now until October 1st, all tickets are BOGO 50% off ($150 each)!

FLASH SALE! NOW UNTIL OCTOBER 1st, TICKETS ARE BOGO ($150 each). Get sponsorships and tickets while they last for our annual concert, Harmonies for Homes, happening on Sunday, October 8! The third annual concert will be held at the beautiful outdoor City Green amphitheater in Sandy Springs this year. Tickets and sponsorships are available at: https://lnkd.in/eVGK-TWd. The singer-songwriter event will feature renowned artists, Emily Saliers of Indigo Girls, and guitarist and singer, David Ryan Harris of John Mayer Band. We are also excited to announce Chesley McNeil 11Alive, Morning Meteorologist, will be emceeing the evening alongside TV Host, Christine Pullara. Delicious choices from several food trucks (Fresh Truck & Blaxican Food Truck) and bars will be on hand for purchase as well. Atlanta native, Emily Saliers, is one half of the Grammy Award-winning folk-rock music duo, Indigo Girls. Her hit song, “Closer to Fine” has made a resurgence since being covered and prominently featured in the popular 2023 movie, “Barbie”. The song was featured in the trailer and a few times in the film, covered by Brandi Carlile. Check out a recent interview with Emily on the movie and song here: https://lnkd.in/ebbmqxER David Ryan Harris is an American guitarist and singer based in Los Angeles. He has been performing on stage since the 1980s when he served as the frontman for the Atlanta rock group, Follow for Now. While Harris continues to promote his solo act, he can frequently be seen on stage performing with artists such as John Mayer, Dave Matthews, Santana, Sister Hazel, Better Than Ezra, and Collective Soul. Tickets for Harmonies for Homes are $200 each, and tax-deductible sponsorships begin at $1,000. Every guest receives two drink tickets with admission. Guests should bring a chair or blanket, and the event is held rain or shine. The event’s proceeds support Habitat’s mission to continue building, refurbishing, and repairing homes for families in need in Cobb, Douglas, and Paulding counties.

Today’s #HabitatFamilyFriday is Dave Dixon, Senior Managing Partner of Cobb County-based OneStreet Residential The company has developed and managed rental housing communities for 30-plus years, with a particular focus on Workforce Housing and Active Adult properties. Dave first became involved with our affiliate in 2022, but he and his wife and have been active with Habitat for many years. Dave says, “In fact, we met as volunteers on an Atlanta Habitat build back in 1996! And before that I worked on two Global Village builds … in Northern Ireland & Romania.” Dave says a Global Village trip to Northern Ireland was his first experience with Habitat. “I was there for my 40th birthday and I wasn’t dealing well with the idea of a birthday in a new decade,” he says. “I loved the idea of a hands-on volunteer opportunity that would broaden my perspective on life.” “We totally love the sense of diverse community that happens on every Habitat build site. It’s so joyful to do that, working with your hands alongside folks who come from all backgrounds and walks of life … I think it’s so powerful because it’s the type of experience most of us are missing in our too-fast, too-digital, too siloed lives.” We met Dave and his company through our work in Douglasville, and we share a common goal to make a difference in work-force housing in that community. “As a company, our core mission is to create housing which people are proud to call home, and one of our highest values is creating communities not just buildings,” he says. “Habitat has one of the best models for doing that … It’s a unique opportunity that tangibly makes a powerful difference in people’s lives - certainly the homeowners but also the volunteers. So, it’s a great meshing of One Street’s corporate purpose and our associates’ desire to make an impact.” Thank you, Dave, we look forward to making an impact together in the communities in which we work for generations to come.

GOLDEN TICKET GIVEAWAY! Share this post between now and Thursday, 9/28 for a chance to win the following: -2 free tickets to Harmonies for Homes benefit concert - 4 drink tickets - Dinner for 2 at one of our available food trucks Get sponsorships and tickets while they last for our annual concert, Harmonies for Homes, happening on Sunday, October 8! The third annual concert will be held at the beautiful outdoor City Green amphitheater in Sandy Springs this year. Tickets and sponsorships are available at: https://lnkd.in/eVGK-TWd. The singer-songwriter event will feature renowned artists, Emily Saliers of Indigo Girls, and guitarist and singer, David Ryan Harris of John Mayer Band. We are also excited to announce Chesley McNeil 11Alive, Morning Meteorologist, will be emceeing the evening alongside TV Host, Christine Pullara. Delicious choices from several food trucks (Fresh Truck & Blaxican Food Truck) and bars will be on hand for purchase as well. Atlanta native, Emily Saliers, is one half of the Grammy Award-winning folk-rock music duo, Indigo Girls. Her hit song, “Closer to Fine” has made a resurgence since being covered and prominently featured in the popular 2023 movie, “Barbie”. The song was featured in the trailer and a few times in the film, covered by Brandi Carlile. Check out a recent interview with Emily on the movie and song here: https://lnkd.in/ebbmqxER David Ryan Harris is an American guitarist and singer based in Los Angeles. He has been performing on stage since the 1980s when he served as the frontman for the Atlanta rock group, Follow for Now. While Harris continues to promote his solo act, he can frequently be seen on stage performing with artists such as John Mayer, Dave Matthews, Santana, Sister Hazel, Better Than Ezra, and Collective Soul. Tickets for Harmonies for Homes are $200 each, and tax-deductible sponsorships begin at $1,000. Every guest receives two drink tickets with admission. Guests should bring a chair or blanket, and the event is held rain or shine. The event’s proceeds support Habitat’s mission to continue building, refurbishing, and repairing homes for families in need in Cobb, Douglas, and Paulding counties.

Head on over to https://lnkd.in/eVGK-TWd to purchase your tickets for Harmonies for Homes.

We’d like to give a special thank you today to the Marietta City Council and members, Cheryl Richardson (Ward 1), and Joseph R. Goldstein (Ward 7), that joined us to start the two homes on Frasier Street on September 9th. Joseph even stayed to volunteer on the build for the day! Thank you both for your dedication to the community and for giving your time to partner with the Catholics 4 Habitat as they began exterior framing for two public servants’ future homes – Di’Ana and Tracey, as part of the Marietta Public Service Housing Program. Di’Ana is a school bus driver for Marietta City Schools, and Tracey is Sanitation Foreperson for the City of Marietta, and Habitat is honored to partner with them to build their future homes so that they may live where they work and become first-time homeowners.

Today’s #HabitatFamilyFriday is the Hene-Gilmore family who recently came together to volunteer for week 8 of the Cobb Interfaith Habitat Coalition (CIHC) house on Britt Road in Mableton. The group was led by Henry Hene, Senior Vice President of Asset Management & Acquisitions for our affiliate, and long-time Co-Chair of the CIHC. Henry has been volunteering with our affiliate for 20 years, when his now adult daughter was involved in the Habitat club at Pope High School. Shortly thereafter, he took the Crew Leader training class the following year and worked as a volunteer/crew leader ever since. Henry and his extended family provided paint touch ups, installed hardware and accessories on the house for future homeowner Vernita. Henry says he organized a family build day to bring his siblings and step siblings even closer. “As a blended family, we want to make a difference to the community all the while building a stronger bond within our family ties,” he says. He says there are many things that make the experience rewarding. “Getting to know the homeowners and their families has been a key factor, but the most rewarding aspect has been working with the volunteers and Ghosts,” says Henry. “I am constantly amazed at the selflessness exhibited by the volunteers and the kind-hearted actions by the Ghost volunteers that make this organization the success that it is.” Henry continues, “My commitment to the Habitat organization and people as well as the belief that an Interfaith Group can rise above our differences and give back to the community. As we like to say, ‘We Build to Coexist, We Coexist to Build’.” Thank you, Henry for your 20-year commitment to Habitat, and bringing your family together to experience all you do on a daily basis to fulfill our mission!

The Cobb Catholic Coalition Habitat For Humanity is hammering the first nails and raising the first walls on two simultaneous, neighboring builds on Frasier Street in Marietta. Using lots donated by the City of Marietta, Ga., Government earlier this year, the coalition is building its 48th and 49th Habitat homes with us. The coalition has never missed a year of building in its 31 years of existence! The two houses will become homes before the end of the year for the City of Marietta public servants, Tracey and Di'Ana. The first home is sponsored entirely by the Catholics 4 Habitat coalition, and the second is sponsored by the Cobb Catholic Coalition Habitat For Humanity, Lutheran Coalition for Habitat for Humanity, and Publix Super Markets Charities. Tracey has been working for the City of Marietta for almost 20 years and was the first woman employee of the Sanitation Services Division of Public Works. Her hard work and leadership paved the way for her current position of Sanitation Foreperson. She has strived to buy a home for five years, but even with homebuyer assistance programs, has not been able to qualify for a mortgage large enough to match the rising housing costs. Tracey has a compassionate spirit and exhibits God-given love for others. She is excited to have a kitchen where she can bring others together and provide space for her 85-year-old mother. Tracey loves her job and how it also has shown other women that they can achieve this goal. “I will always be a part of Habitat for Humanity and pay it forward,” she says. Di’Ana is a Marietta City Schools bus driver. She loves all of the children she serves and says she originally chose this line of work because it provided the perfect schedule to spend quality time with her daughter Saniah, now 15. The family currently lives in an apartment in Marietta. She says, “I want to become a homeowner because I want to break the cycle of renting, and building someone else's dreams, rather than focusing on my dream of providing my daughter with a forever home that we can pass down for generations.” At Habitat it takes many partnerships and a lot of teamwork to make homeownership happen. I want to personally thank the City of Marietta for putting the Marietta Public Service Housing Program in place, and the multiple sponsors it has taken to raise the funds needed for construction. We're thrilled to build two houses this fall for these well-deserving public servants. Well done, and what a great way to wrap up the build season!