Transform Chattanooga

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 seven-year old daughter Kaya 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.   Crystal’s home is under construction thanks to funding from the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s Home team Partnership with Habitat for Humanity International, and volunteer service by many local volunteers.

Chattanooga resident Shenarian Favors and her children are the 4^th local family blessed with owning their own home thanks to Thrivent Builds with Habitat for Humanity, a nation-wide alliance between Habitat for Humanity International and Thrivent Financial for Lutherans.

“Owning a home has been a dream of mine ever since I went out on my own,” Shenarian says.  Shenarian grew up in Orchard Park, before going out to find her way in the world at 18. Necessity led her to live in public housing, and then several rentals, as a son, Darius, now almost 18 and daughter, Jakobi 9, were born.  Before learning about Habitat, buying her own home seemed impossible.  The family currently lives in a duplex just six feet off of a busy city street.  Doctor’s suspect that Shenerian’s chronic sinus infections, congestion and headaches are due to mold and mildew in her duplex.

The family’s situation will soon change, as they move into the simple, decent, and affordable home built for them by local Lutherans since April.   “My kids are excited,” Shenarian says.  “It will be great to have something they can call their own, to have their own yard.  They have told me that the first thing they want is a trampoline!” Shenarian is looking forward to having space of her own as well.  “It will be exciting to be able to paint things the way I want them and to have a place that can reflect me.”

“It has been a privilege to work with local Lutherans on this project,” says Pete Palmer, Executive Director of Habitat for Humanity of Greater Chattanooga.  “You could not ask for a more dedicated and enthusiastic group of volunteers.”  Congregations participating in this year’s build included: Ascension, Christ the King, Cross of Christ, First Lutheran – Chattanooga, First Lutheran – Cleveland, Good Shepherd, Prince of Peace, Resurrection, Spirit of Joy, Trinity, and The Rock Lutheran Churches, as well as members of the SE TN NW GA Chapter Thrivent Financial for Lutherans.

“The Thrivent Builds program provided a wonderful opportunity for our local Lutheran congregations to work together.  It is a blessing for us to be able to share our skills and know that we have had a part in making a home available to a deserving family,” said Harold Humphries, who helped coordinated volunteers for the project.  “This is the fourth home built by members of our local Lutheran Churches in the past four years and we look forward to a continuing relationship with the Chattanooga Habitat Affiliate.”

Sixty-five percent of the funding for this home came from Thrivent Financial for Lutherans and an additional 10 percent from local Lutheran congregations.  Thrivent Builds with Habitat for Humanity has given more than 1,000 families an opportunity to achieve the American dream of homeownership since 2005.  This year the alliance will provide $24 million to help build another 313 affordable homes in 37 states and the District of Columbia.  Hundreds of local Habitat affiliates will build these homes alongside members of thrivent Financial and other community volunteers.  To learn more, visit www.thriventbuilds.com.

If you are on Facebook, why not join us in making a difference in our community by joining our cause – Transform Lives One Home at  a Time -

http://apps.facebook.com/causes/325494/45062903?m=24fcdb20

Visit http://www.wrcbtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=10789326 for WRCBs coverage of the dedication of Allie Cisco’s home – our first home renovation in a new collaboration with the Chattanooga Housing Authority that helps Section 8 recipients become homeowners.  The dedication was also noted by the Chattanoogan:  http://www.chattanoogan.com/articles/article_156667.asp

The Habitat for Humanity ReStore would like to thank Home Depot, Grace Frank with ReMax and the community of Chattanooga for supporting the ReStore 2nd Annual Spring Donation Drive.  Hundreds of donations were collected during the drive which will result in thousands of dollars in sales. The money raised through the Habitat for Humanity ReStore goes toward building more Habitat homes in Chattanooga. Stuart Bickley, a Lookout Mountain resident and co-owner of the local business Rain Dance Property Solutions won the $1000 Home Depot Gift Card for donating the most items to the ReStore during the drive.

Thank you to all of those who attended the Sustainable Living, Sustainable Giving Dinner last Thursday.  The evening was truly unforgettable! After a delicious dinner served by Sodexho Dining Services, attendees were introduced to three current Habitat families, Alexia Taylor, Brenda Mahaffey and Baja Dalla, who have excelled as Habitat families.  The story of Baja Dalla was dramatically portrayed in a wonderful film produced by Dave Porfiri and Linda Duvoisin.

After a couple of tears were shed, the excitement grew as people placed bids on items ranging from tools for volunteers to homeowner education classes.  As the total amount pledged grew, Cessna Decosimo kept tally by filling in the tree on the original piece he created for the dinner.  A special thank you goes to Cessna for his artistic talents, Spencer McCallie who is one of the best auctioneers in town and Sumner McCallie for chairing this event!

When all was said and done, $52,000 had been raised thanks to the generous support of guests, table hosts and event sponsors. These funds will help Habitat continue to work with more families and put them on the path to homeownership. Habitat would not be able to work toward fulfilling its mission of ending substandard housing in Chattanooga without people like you!

Click here for video from WDEF TV on yesterday’s house dedication …

http://www.wdef.com/news/new_habitat_home_is_leed_certified/04/2009

A family seeking shelter from the ravages of violence in the Sudan, are now the proud owners of Chattanooga’s first LEED Certified Habitat for Humanity Houses – one of the first in Tennessee.

When violence broke out in the Sudan, Baja Dalla and his family tried to flee, but by the time he reached an Ethiopian refugee camp, all of his family except his father had been killed or had died because of illness or hunger. His father soon died as well, and he was alone at age 7. Baja struggled to attend school and to find work. As the years passed and he grew up

, he met Nyanchi, and sought her hand in marriage, but was rebuffed because he could not pay the traditional dowry! Baja applied for resettlement to the United States, and was eventually married. By the time the couple was relocated to the U.S. they had two children. Bridge Refugee Services in Chattanooga helped them apply to Habitat for Humanity of Greater Chattanooga for a home.

A group of Chattanooga businesses and green building leaders rallied around the project to build a home for the family that would be simple, decent, affordable, AND use cutting-edge green construction methods. green|spaces, a local green building organization, Architect Thomas Palmer and Collier Construction provided design and technical advice and helped manage the design so when completed it could be certified through the US Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System™.

“Baja and Nyanchi came to America with the hope of having a home, in a way that is new for them,” says Jeff Cannon of green|spaces. “Their commitment to carve out a new life in our country is a reminder that it is no small thing to own property, to have a piece of land with a house on it. And to care for that home so it will shelter you and your children. Baja’s hard work on the project was inspiring to us all, and we were pleased to help build his house with materials that are healthier for his kids, that use less energy, and that have less impact on his land.”

“LEED certifiable design includes material efficient framing, use of sustainable resources, proximity to basic community resources, permanent erosion control, high efficiency fixtures and fittings for indoor water use, and the use of Energy Star Appliances and more,” says Aaron Collier with Collier Construction. “The home also includes an insulated crawl space and attic, sealed air barrier and a rain screen siding system. These sustainable building practices contribute to significantly lower energy costs, reduced water use and healthy indoor air.”

Funds. materials or services for the project were provided by Collier Construction, Donald R. Payne Company , Eastman Construction, EMJ Corporation, Church of the Good Shepherd, green|spaces, Koch’s Foods, Lyndhurst Foundation, Luken Holdings, North Shore Fellowship, Palmer Built Environments, Robert L. and Kathrina H. Maclellan Foundation, Signal Wind, The Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga, The Osborne Fund and The Strauss Company.

Construction of the home began in early December 2008 in conjunction with MainX24 and the InHabitat Party sponsored by Coptix, a local design firm. The shell of the home was complete at the corner of East Main Street and Market during these events then moved to its permanent location in the Jefferson Heights Neighborhood. Construction of the home was recently completed. Along the way, local filmmakers Dave Profiri and Linda Duvoisin filmed the project and have created a short film telling Baja’s story which premiered at the recent Eco Expo in Chattanooga.

“It has been a privilege to see Chattanooga come together to bless a family who have been through things that are beyond our imaginations,” says Pete Palmer, president of the board of Habitat for Humanity of Greater Chattanooga. “Learning about LEED building practices during this project has enhanced our knowledge, and gives us information we can use to build more energy efficient homes in the future.”

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Brenda Mahaffey grew up in Chattanooga, was married at age seventeen and has been blessed with six children, including two sets of twins, thirteen grandchildren and four great grandchildren. Because family is so important to Brenda, she did not hesitate for a moment to open her home to Robert, her disabled grandson. When Robert was born, jaundice affected the right side of his brain causing permanent damage. Providing Robert’s care is a challenge for Brenda. Until recently when Robert began suffering from multiple seizures on a regular basis, Brenda was his sole caregiver. Robert now receives in-home nursing care sixteen hours a day.

In May of 2008 Robert graduated from the adult program at the Orange Grove School where he had attended for several years. Brenda beams with pride when she reflects on Robert’s achievements at Orange Grove. She is so grateful to the staff and continues to maintain a relationship with many of them.

Even though Brenda has lived in Chattanooga her entire life, she has yet to experience the feeling of being home. “Living in a rented home, you never feel like you are home. You have to live like the landlord wants you to live.”

Living on a fixed income, Brenda realized she would never qualify for a conventional home loan. Hearing about the Habitat for Humanity program from a friend, Brenda began praying that she would be accepted into the program. Shortly after Brenda began her journey with Habitat, she was notified by her landlord that she had to move out of her home as soon as possible. With the threat of homelessness bearing down on Brenda and her disabled grandson, she was blessed to find a fellow church member with an apartment available to rent. “A home of my own means I never have to move or worry about the landlord. It would be mine to decorate as I wish.”

Brenda has had “angels” help her in many ways since being accepted into Habitat’s program. Friends have rallied in support of Brenda by not only providing assistance with Robert, but by helping Brenda meet Habitat’s requirements for sweat equity hours and the payment of closing costs. Brenda was worried about affording the $500 down payment for closing costs. What a surprise when her church family presented her with a paid receipt for the entire balance! Their generosity moved Brenda to tears. Brenda’s family has also been with her every step of the way. “I couldn’t do it without the help of my family. I am more than grateful for the help they give.”

Brenda now believes more than ever that God is by her side and praises Him every day for this tremendous blessing. Soon, with the help of friends, family and Habitat for Humanity of Greater Chattanooga, Brenda can call her house a home!