By Kristen Freehill—
MUNCIE, IN—Muncie Habitat for Humanity received a $33,000 grant that will help repair three homes in Muncie.
With the support of the grant, Muncie Habitat will work on three family homes making much needed repairs, such as a new furnace, roof, windows, and doors.
“We are so grateful, once again, to be working with Lowe’s,” said Lindsey Arthur, president, and CEO of Greater Muncie Habitat. “The local team has been an inspiration to us for many years, volunteering in numerous capacities to help build homes and revitalize our neighborhoods. Thanks to Lowe’s, more local families will have safe, dry, and warm homes this winter.”
Lowe’s associates from Muncie Lowe’s joined Muncie Habitat on a local construction site on Nov. 10.
“Having the team from Lowe’s on our build site is always an honor,” Arthur said. “We enjoy the camaraderie and enthusiasm that they bring.”
The funding from Lowe’s is part of a two-year, $6 million donation to Habitat for Humanity International to support home repair and preservation efforts in owner-occupied homes. Through this partnership, more than 75 local Habitat affiliates will complete more than 480 projects this year to address critical health and safety issues in homes across the U.S. Since 2003, Lowe’s and Habitat have worked together to help more than 18,000 people build or improve a place to call home.
Habitat’s pledge to ensure neighborhoods, beyond re-populating neighborhoods with new residents, means giving existing residents the necessary tools to stay in their homes longer, Arthur says. This aging in place philosophy keeps residents in their homes longer and keeps houses out of what can become a destructive rental environment in neighborhoods. Our work will be to find a way to provide access to basic home repairs and maintenance work, to food and health care services. It is our goal to continue to strive for livability in every neighborhood in need citywide.
A home – not just a house – combines shelter with a sense of belonging and purpose, says Arthur. After a home comes safety and security, financial stability, a renewed focus on education, better health outcomes, and a commitment to planning for a future.
After a home comes intentionality for the next generation. A 2021 survey of Greater Muncie Habitat homeowners found that 70 percent had lived in their home more than five years; nearly half for more than 10 years and nearly 25 percent of Greater Muncie Habitat homeowners had been in their home for more than 15 years. (The survey had a slightly more than 30 percent response rate, which is above the average for surveys).
Habitat arms responsible homeowners with tools they need to make a better life for their family. The work has never been more essential.
Kristen Freehill is the Community Programs Manager at Greater Muncie Habitat for Humanity.
About Greater Muncie Habitat for Humanity
Greater Muncie Habitat for Humanity partners with families in their journey towards stable housing meant to last a lifetime. The impact of a Habitat for Humanity home extends beyond the lives of Habitat’s partner families; it also has a positive effect on the entire neighborhood. Through focused efforts, in partnership with funders, other organizations, volunteers and residents, Muncie Habitat has witnessed an increase in property value, a decrease in vacancy rates, and the arrival of new families who take pride in their community. Since its inception in 1986, Muncie Habitat for Humanity has provided new and improved housing opportunities for more than 260 families. Consider supporting the mission of Muncie Habitat by visiting http://www.munciehabitat.org/donate.
