On Saturday, November 17, Habitat For Humanity San Bernardino Area hosted a Home Dedication ceremony for two new homes in Grand Terrace. Alganesh Habte and Amanda Miller and their respective family members, were able to walk through their completed homes for the first time, after patiently waiting many years for this day to come. These are the first Habitat homes built in the greater San Bernardino area in over three years. Alganesh, her daughter Senait Woldernarium and Alganesh’s two grandchildren, will reside at 12569 Michigan Street, and Amanda and her four children will reside at 12579 Michigan Street. 60 guests attended the event, which included elected officials, community leaders, Habitat Board members and Donors, and extended family members and friends. Special music was provided by the Redlands-based A Capella group Rhymes With Orange. Speakers included Al Arguello, Bank of America Inland Empire Market President, and Riverside Habitat Executive Director Kathy Michalak, who read a letter from Grand Terrace Mayor Darcy McNaboe. Due to a prior engagement, Mayor McNaboe was not able to attend, but in the letter, she congratulated both families, whom she had the opportunity to work side-by-side with, painting and pounding nails. She also thanked Habitat for keeping their promise to build these homes. Both families were given a basket of Proctor & Gamble household products, which also included $100 gift cards to Home Depot and Stater Brothers. A surprise announcement came from Kate Thibault from GRID Alternatives, who shared that each home will receive free solar panels next April, to coincide with Earth Day, 2019.
Habitat For Humanity is dependent upon community volunteer groups to build these homes, as well as local professionals who either donate their time and talents, or offer them at a discounted rate. Bank of America Community Volunteers, Wells Fargo Team Volunteers, Grand Terrace Lion’s Club, and Living Word Church of the IE, are the groups who led the way in community volunteering to helped build these homes. If you are interested in volunteering at a Habitat For Humanity project in your community, please call the Habitat office at 909-478-1176 and ask for Volunteer Coordinator Loreta Erickson. If you, or your organization, are interested in becoming a Donor or financial supporter for Habitat, call the same number and ask for Judi Dennistoun, or go to our website at www.habitatsb.org.
Both families have been living in less than desirable conditions for many years. They were chosen from a group of candidates who applied for a Habitat home in the Greater San Bernardino Area. In order to be selected, you must be a first-time home-buyer, and if selected, attend first-time homebuyer education classes. The family’s total household income must not exceed the County’s Affordable Housing maximum limit, but must still have sufficient income to afford their new mortgage payments, property taxes and homeowner insurance premiums. Each qualified applicant is then reviewed by a Family Selection Committee made up of local community members. The level of the distress or need for each family then becomes a significant determining factor in the decision making process. Each family must also complete the required amount of sweat equity hours, based on the number of adults to be residing in the home. If you are interested in becoming an applicant for a new Habitat Home, please go to our website www.habitatsb.org for details. Coming soon will be a link to register for a New Homebuyer seminar in late January. This will begin the family selection process for up to three homes we are planning to build in late 2019 in the city of San Bernardino.