By Sandy Meyer
Habitat for Humanity of Hillsborough County celebrated the construction of its first completed home this year, and handed the keys to Deborah Lowe, a deserving mother with two children. Lowe and her children moved into the Tampa home this May amid fanfare from family, church members, new neighbors, and home sponsor Publix Supermarket Charities. “It has been rough on my children living in the projects,” said Lowe who volunteered more than 300 hours on the building of her home. “But now we have accomplished our dream of finally owning our own home. We will soon be able to say ‘we made it through!’”
The home dedication included a short ceremony and then the keys and a Bible were handed to Lowe and her children.
Through monetary gifts, donated materials and volunteer labor, Habitat Hillsborough was able to build the home and sell it at an affordable price. Lowe is purchasing the home with a no-interest loan, and her monthly mortgage payments will assist in building more Habitat homes. “We are committed to improving the lives of families and enhancing hard-hit areas in Tampa one house at a time,” said Jacquie Moore, chair of the Habitat of Hillsborough Board of Directors. “The kindness of our community is immeasurable. Our sponsors and volunteers have made this new home possible and we are grateful we have their support,” she added.
Brian West, Media Community Relations Manager for Publix Super Market Charities explained that each year Publix contributes to the Habitat for Humanity and thousands of Publix employees donate their time within the communities that Publix serves.
Habitat for Humanity of Hillsborough County became an affiliate in 1987 and is part of a global, nonprofit housing organization founded and operated on Christian principles. Habitat Hillsborough is dedicated to eliminating substandard housing locally through constructing, rehabilitating and preserving homes; by advocating for fair and just housing policies; and by providing training and access to resources to help families improve their housing conditions. For more information about Habitat for Humanity of Hillsborough call 239-2242 or visit www.habitathillsborough.com.
