Two Home Dedications Bring Warmth to a Cold Winter Day

The cozy, sun-filled homes on Whitall Street in St. Paul filled with warmth despite the frigid temperatures outside. During the January dedication of two Habitat homes, the new owners and their families, each with four children, radiated excitement. For Taher Mohammed, Mekdes Woldegiorgis, Assefa Ketema, and Tysehay Abdissa, owning their own homes means a better life for their families.

Taher’s family will no longer face the challenges of living on the 21st floor of an  apartment building. Assefa and his family are excited to give up their two-bedroom apartment to focus more on family time and activities. Both families agree they will better be able to help their children with homework and ultimately prepare them for college. The children will also have plenty of space to play inside and out.

Both families feel there are other benefits of going through the homeownership process. Taher is happy that his children will “learn ownership and responsibility." Assefa is looking forward to living close to friends and perhaps making some new friends. The hours of sweat equity both families contributed also gave them new skills. Taher shared that he worked in many different areas because he wanted to get to know the volunteers and learn everything he could so he would know what to do to care for and maintain his future home.

The teamwork that built the houses was evident at the dedication with home sponsors, Habitat volunteers, and employees in attendance. Rhonda Thorson, the site supervisor, recalled how each of the men worked on their own home, as well as on each other’s, and she believes they’ll make great neighbors. Gary Erickson, representing Traveler’s, stated it’s the company’s 28th year supporting Habitat and what a blessing that relationship has been. Sue Haigh, Twin Cities Habitat's President and CEO, spoke of the partnerships important to Habitat, and read a letter from the Mayor of St. Paul, Chris Coleman, who volunteered at the site, in addition to the 30-plus Fortune 500 CEOs that also volunteered at the build. An artist who is creating a kinetic, wall-mounted sculpture shared how the sculpture will reflect the organization’s core values at Habitat for Humanity’s new offices. Two other artists are teaming up to create an interactive quilt made from building materials that will reflect people’s experiences with Habitat. Each of the speakers reinforced how the community has provided a variety of people and a variety of ways to help.

For Habitat for Humanity, the whole process is faith in action. Gifts to each family of a Bible and the framed Golden Rule with equivalent sayings in various religions were a testament to this. The dedication ended with visiting and sharing – community building at its best. There was wonderful Ethiopian food, a gift from the families, and cake. The laughter and play of children as they explored and enjoyed their new home was a fitting celebration of a wonderful project completed by a “village” of caring people.

Written by: Bev Alsleben