Habitat celebrates a year of blessings and change

As the year drifts to a close and the holidays swiftly approach, it is a wonderful time for us to reflect on all the blessings of the past year. Nashville Area Habitat has a lot to be thankful for this year: throughout 2011 we have lived our mission to its fullest, bringing home a total of 34 families in four different communities and nurturing the greater Nashville community by extending the reach of our programs in providing decent, affordable housing for all.

The community of Park Preserve grew by 24 families by the end of our build season, and we broke ground on our first ever build in Antioch, welcoming six families home in Hamilton Chase at our dedication on Nov. 6. In June of this year, the Dickson division celebrated the milestone of its 20th build, and the Cheatham division, our newest rural affiliate, completed its inaugural build just months after merging with Nashville Area Habitat for a victim of the May 2010 flood, Rose Shearon.

Our donor and volunteer groups got a big infusion in 2011 as we welcomed two new initiatives: Habitat Young Professionals (HYP) and Women Build. These groups create a unique opportunity to marry the generosity of financial donations with the spirit of volunteerism, as each group is formed with the intention to both fund and build a house completely from its member base. The inaugural homes for the initiatives were completed in the fall, with HYP welcoming Leslie Cousin to Park Preserve in September and Women Build bringing Shandora Fennessee to Hamilton Chase in November.

We brought the build season to a successful conclusion as we gathered to reflect at our major annual fundraiser, Houses of Hope. On November 21, 360 guests joined us at Loews Vanderbilt Hotel, raising more than $113,000 in support of agency priorities. Two of our homeowners, Leslie Cousin and Shandora Fennessee, helped highlight the success of our newest initiatives, HYP and Women Build, and brought laughter and tears to all as they addressed their audience, emphasizing how homeownership completely changes lives.

Our corporate division cut the ribbon on our new office at 2950 Kraft Drive, Suite 100, creating more space to welcome and work with our partner families as they go through the joyful experience of becoming homeowners.

From the way we recruit volunteers to the location of our offices, we have enjoyed an extraordinary number of changes this year. We are so grateful for our remarkable community of homeowners, donors, and volunteers—your support has made the blessings of this year possible. The need for affordable housing is growing in Nashville and as we welcome a new year we invite you to join us to Build a Better Nashville.