One Wall Closer to Home
- Vero Minute
- Jun 15
- 2 min read
Saturday morning, New Vision Eye Center employee Ronnie officially became a homeowner-in-progress...hammer in hand, wall going up, her daughters looking on, thanks to Habitat for Humanity and its volunteers.
Here's what most people get wrong about Habitat for Humanity: First and foremost, they don't "give away" houses and second, Habitat homes are not and should not be confused with so-called Section 8 housing.
The families who qualify are the nurse, the restaurant manager, the school district employee, people who earn too much for public assistance but far too little to compete in a market where the median home price just crossed $420,000.
A hammer placed into Ronnie's hands symbolizes the weight of the labor of everyone who'd worked this block before her.
By Habitat tradition, she'd spent weeks building her neighbors' homes first. Today was different. Coworkers who drove out on their day off watched.
Ronnie logged 300 hours of sweat equity, completed financial classes, and will close on an actual mortgage sold at cost, zero percent interest.
Ronnie's home is made possible by lead sponsor Mullinax Ford, one of many local businesses and organizations making Gifford Gardens possible.
The full roster of community partners includes:
The Moorings Yacht & Country Club
Orchid Island
John's Island Club
John's Island Foundation
Grand Harbor
Dyer Auto
Publix Super Markets Charities
McDonald's (Odom, Conrado Enterprises)
United Way of Indian River County.
29 Habitat houses are under construction across Indian River County right now, with 37 homebuyers in the pipeline. The 14-home Gifford Gardens development finishes this December.
President & CEO Trevor Loomis, Chief Strategy Officer Jeff Francisco, Board Vice Chair Dr. Linda Faust, and Board Member Bethany Fortunato were among those on hand Saturday, alongside Habitat Communications and Advocacy Manager Daniella Dominique, whose work behind the scenes helps Habitat tell this story to the community it serves. Jeff Francisco lays out the full picture in this interview with the Indian River Community Foundation.
A special thank you to Board Vice Chair Dr. Linda Faust for the invitation to Saturday's wall raising. Volunteer or learn more at irchabitat.org.
