Lima Area Habitat for Humanity Bless the Build

by Caleb Farmer

Matthew and Samantha Honigford look out over a crowd of thirty people who have gathered to join them at Lima Area Habitat for Humanity’s Bless the Build as they witness the walls go up on their new home. Not long ago, they wouldn’t have dreamed a day like this would be able to happen. Previously, the Honigford family of four lived in a temporarily converted living space above Sam’s parent’s garage. As they looked at the new home ownership landscape and even rental rates, they were becoming increasingly discouraged. That is when they talked to Matthew’s grandfather Don, a longtime Habitat & ReStore volunteer, traveling the country with his wife Diane to help build in Florida and then back up to Ohio each year. He mentioned that they should call the Lima Area Habitat affiliate and see if they qualified to become a partner family.

One of the most important myths to dispel about Habitat is that we give homes away. The Honigford family had to bring in their tax information, pay stubs, and financial history to make sure they could qualify for a mortgage through Habitat that they could afford, not exceeding 30% of their income. Families who partner with Habitat will be paying a mortgage like any other homeowner, but the mortgage will be interest-free, making it affordable for lower income families. Every partner family invests in the organization by completing a set number of sweat equity hours, which is Habitat for Humanity’s term for service hours working on a Habitat home or in the ReStore.

Lima Area Habitat has big plans for the upcoming year that wouldn’t be possible without our volunteers and partners. Our way of keeping our home costs low is through the generous sharing of time, financial gifts and in-kind donations.

In the last month, the new home construction has seen groups from AEP, staff, and faculty from Ohio Northern University (ONU), Schrader Reality, and AbbVie Pharmaceuticals. Community Relief led by Matt Naylor even jumped in to take on shingling the new house. Back at the ReStore in our construction area, groups from Kohl’s, Mercy Health St. Rita’s, and Alpha Sigma Phi fraternity at ONU all helped build and prepare the walls before build day, which enabled us to put the walls up in one day.

While Lima Area Habitat works to finish up the Honingford’s house in 2023, the organization has an eye toward their other 2023 plans of repairing two roofs in Lima and laying the foundation for their 2024 plans. Lima Area Habitat plans to start a complete repair program in 2024 while constructing two new homes in Lima, including at least one new home in census tract 129. We especially look forward to continuing our relationship with the city of Lima and Mercy Health St. Rita’s to make this expanded role in the community a reality.

While these developments are underway, the Habitat ReStore continues to have a record year in sales. The ReStore’s role in the Habitat equation is our largest funding source. If you haven’t visited the ReStore, you are missing out on a wonderful shopping experience finding treasures and functional items for every part of your house.

While fundraising is the ReStore’s main focus, its impact on the community goes far beyond that. This year, the Lima ReStore will keep over 350 tons of waste out of the landfill. You can even schedule a truck to take a look during a house transition to clear out some of the goods to avoid throwing as much out. The ReStore is also a place where people can purchase furniture and furnishing that they may not otherwise have been able to afford. Lastly, the ReStore is a great place for people seeking job skills or needing a place to volunteer, whether through a partnership with Allen County Board of Developmental Disabilities, the Allen County Juvenile Detention Center or working with people who need hours for a school scholarship or court-mandated hours.

There are numerous ways to get involved with Habitat, from submitting a nomination for our Board Orientation Class (currently open for nominations), or volunteering to ride along on the ReStore truck a couple of times a month. There are also other ways to contribute, like bringing a couple friends to volunteer on a Saturday in the ReStore or at a building site.

If you want to get involved in our next home build through a financial gift or partnering in another way, we would love to sit down and have a conversation. Join us as we seek to put God’s love into action and bring people together to improve the lives of families in our communities so that

You can donate or sign up to volunteer by going to Habitatlima.org. If you are interested in having a conversation about a partnership with your business, church, school or as an individual, reach out at (419) 222-4937 or email Caleb@Habitatlima.org.