The weekend of June 20, eight more families—27 family members—crossed the threshold to homeownership in Timberwood, Nashville Area Habitat for Humanity’s second model affordable housing community. It was the weekend everyone had been waiting for. Each family had completed up to 475 hours of sweat equity, helped build their new homes, and signed mortgage agreements.

On Friday, June 20, local corporations HCA, Deloitte and Nissan held dedication and ribbon cutting ceremonies for their three partner families, and on Sunday, June 22, Greater Nashville Association of Realtors, Dollar General Corporation, THDA/Builders Blitz, Saint Thomas Health Services and the Summer Community Build sponsors did the same for five more families. New homeowners received keys and framed copies of their mortgage agreements and invited guests into their completed new homes for the first time.

“We congratulate these families for all their hard work and dedication to achieving the American Dream of homeownership,” said NAHFH CEO Chris McCarthy. “With this dream comes the ability to build better lives for their children and for themselves. We also want to thank the thousands of volunteers who have helped make this all possible. They have built eight homes in eight days, and we could not do this without them.”

Highlights:

• HCA sponsored and built its 11th Nashville Area Habitat house for Terri Bush, as part of the company’s $500,000 investment in Timberwood. Nationally, HCA has built 50 Habitat homes over the past eight years. For HCA employees, Habitat for Humanity has provided an invaluable opportunity for addressing a critical community need and fulfilling the HCA mission to improve the quality of human life.
• Deloitte employees built a home for Caro Noriega, the company’s sixth Habitat house in Nashville. Deloitte employee Jean Lauzon is a Habitat SOS and co-worker John Doerge serves on Habitat’s volunteer relations committee. Deloitte is an organization of member firms around the world devoted to excellence in providing professional services and advice in nearly 150 countries.
• Nissan employees built a home for Angela Knight, the company’s second Nashville Habitat home. The build was part of Nissan’s third $1 million partnership with Habitat for Humanity International. Nissan communications director Fred Standish serves on Nashville Area Habitat’s board of directors and the community relations committee.
• Greater Nashville Association of Realtors set a new record for volunteer participation as it built a home for Yawana Thomas, the group’s 12th Nashville Habitat home. Each year, GNAR hosts a benefit golf tournament to raise funds for a Habitat home. GNAR has more than 4,000 members, making it the largest trade association in Nashville.
• Saint Thomas Health Services built a home for LaMessia Brandon, one of the company’s own employees. It was Saint Thomas Hospital’s second Nashville Area Habitat home, but the first for Baptist Hospital and Saint Thomas Hospital to build together. The mission of Saint Thomas Health Services calls is to care for the community, paying special attention to those who are poor and vulnerable.
• The Summer Community Build brought together volunteers from Cummins, KPMG, Northside Church of Christ, Habitat HomeStores and Hillsboro Presbyterian Church. They built a home for Girma Dufera, who emigrated to the U.S. from Ethiopia in 2004. Each year the Summer Community Build gives an opportunity to sponsors for a part of a build rather than all eight days of construction.
• Tennessee Housing Development Agency sponsored the agency’s first Builders Blitz, a partnership between professionals in the residential home building industry and Habitat for Humanity affiliates to build affordable homes across the nation. Volunteers built a home for Mary Puok, who emigrated to the U.S. from the country of Sudan in 1994.
• Long-time supporter Dollar General built a home for Paula Tatum, the company’s first full house sponsorship. It was a “blitz build,” which means the house was built by Dollar General associates in eight consecutive days instead of being built over the typical four weekends. Dollar General promotes a spirit of involvement, carrying out their mission to serve deep into the communities they call home.