Avery Habitat Opens New Home


The American Dream is alive in well in Avery County as in many other counties across our great country and our world, thanks to a little dream that begin back in the mid 70s. What started in 1976 by Millard Fuller and his wife Linda, on a small Christian Community farm in Georgia, has grown into an international organization addressing the issues of affordable housing worldwide. The homes would be built at no profit and interest would not be charged for the loan. The money would come from the new homeowners house payments and money would be raised thorough fund raising activities and generous individuals as well as businesses. In 1984, former President Jimmy Carter and wife Rosalyn took their first hands on work trip to New York City. Their high profile involvement led to an explosion in publicity, as news crews would film the former president and his wife hanging sheetrock, painting and other labor-intensive jobs involved in home building. Habitat has given over 2.5 million people the chance to realize the dream of owning their home.
Terry Woodruff Executive Director and Construction Coordinator of Avery County Habitat  spoke to Mtn 18 about the process of home ownership from their Community Center Office in Milford Meadows just outside  Elk Park. Terry was in the process of preparing the “Service of Dedication and Blessing” for the new home of Rick, Lisa and Lakota Smith that would take place later on that day. If you would like to see or read more about Habitat in Avery County, go to their website www.averycohfh.org