A tree donated by Take Root Chattanooga stands in front of the newly completed NCAA Home Team House
Construction of a Habitat for Humanity home that began in the parking lot at Finley stadium in Chattanooga at last year’s NCAA Division I Football Championship is now complete. The walls to the home were built by local volunteers and members of the teams in last year’s championship, then assembled on site when construction of the home began.
“Chattanooga has the honor of being home to both the first and last homes built under the Home Team partnership between Habitat for Humanity International and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCCA)” said Pete Palmer, Executive Director of Habitat for Humanity of Greater Chattanooga. “From 2005 to 2008, 5,000 NCAA student-athletes, coaches, staff and other volunteers have helped build nearly 60 homes throughout the nation. We are grateful to the NCAA, its staff and student athletes who helped make a difference for Crystal and her family.”
Having a new place to call home will mean a new start for Crystal and her children. Fear was a constant companion during Crystal Johnson’s childhood in Avondale. Her home was broken into on a regular basis and her parents feared for the safety of their children. Crystal remembers going home to a house that had been broken into yet again, and her father doing his walk-through of her house to make sure it was safe enough for his family to come in. Her house was riddled with roaches and gophers – the roach problem only exacerbated Crystal’s asthma, another reason she couldn’t stay in her own home.
The fear and poverty of her childhood drove her to become a social worker. “I really wanted to make a difference in other people’s lives,” Crystal says. After graduating from Brainerd, Crystal pursued a degree in social work at UTC. Her first job was working with the children at Chambliss Children’s Shelter. She now works as a case worker at Fortwood Mental Health Center.
Crystal is determined to give her two children a home free of fear and to use homeownership to break the cycle of poverty she has endured. Crystal’s determination led her to Habitat as a resource to reach that goal. “I’m so independent and I am ready to own a home of my own., ” Crystal says.
Construction of Crystal’s home was accomplished with countless hours of volunteer labor from individuals and groups around Chattanooga.
The NCAA is a membership-led nonprofit association of colleges and universities committed to supporting academic and athletic opportunities for more than 400,000 student-athletes at more than 1,000 member colleges and universities. Each year, more than 54,000 student-athletes compete in NCAA championships in Divisions I, II and III sports. Visit www.ncaa.org and www.ncaa.com for more details about the Association, its goals and members and corporate partnerships that help support programs for student-athletes.
Habitat for Humanity International is an ecumenical Christian ministry that welcomes to its work all people dedicated to the cause of eliminating poverty housing. Since its founding in 1976, Habitat has built 300,000 houses worldwide, providing simple, decent and affordable shelter for more than 1.5 million people. For more information, visit www.habitat.org.
