He glows Jeremy McClish

he glows

JEREMY MCCLISH

By Julie Young | Photo by Mollie Shutt

Until recently, Jeremy McClish saw his career as a random collection of seemingly unrelated roles in a wide variety of fields, including construction, radio, advertising, hospitality, ranching and Real Estate among others. Now as the Chief Operating Officer for Habitat for Humanity of Greater Fort Wayne, he says there was a thread that was being woven through those previous positions to prepare him for his current vocation.

“They did not seem to link before, but now I see how God was preparing me for what I am doing now,” he said.

McClish joined Habitat in 2017 as the director of operations, overseeing homeowner and mortgage services, construction services and the local ReStore; however, his responsibilities expanded at the beginning of the year when he became the COO. Now all of the main functions of the organization report through him, including development, operations and finance.

“Although working for a nonprofit was never on my radar, it’s been a great fit,” he said. “I consider it a blessing to be able to serve others and give back to my community.

Habitat for Humanity of Greater Fort Wayne is a Christian housing ministry established in 1986 that unites volunteers and local investors with qualified families to build safe and affordable homes in the community. Since its inception, it has provided the opportunity of home ownership to more than 244 families in Allen, Huntington and Wells counties.

“We believe our families don’t need charity; they need capital,” McClish said. “Our program invests in people who do not qualify for a traditional mortgage, and it requires families to put in sweat equity throughout the process.”

In addition to working alongside a volunteer crew to physically build their home, homeowners spend time in a classroom learning financial competencies and taking classes that pertain to homeownership. The goal is for families to be prepared for their new life and to help set them up for success. It’s not a hand out, but rather a hand up.

“I love our donors. I love our families. I love our staff. I love it all,” McClish said. “The driving motivator for me is always relationships, and I love getting to know all these groups of people. One of my favorites, though, is to see a family raise the walls of their future home. It is a special moment when they get to see the culmination of months of hard work.”

In addition to his work with Habitat, McClish serves on the board of the Northeastern REMC, is very active in his church community, and in his spare time, enjoys life with his wife Molly and their three children. He says he is well aware that there are countless people out there who are more qualified for his job and could probably do it better, but this is where God has placed him and it’s up to him to follow that call.

“For me, it’s all about working hard and being faithful with what God gives you to do in every area of your life,” he said. a

Want to nominate someone for He Glows? Email Amber at ambouthot@the-papers.com

THINK | SHOP | BUY gloLocal

209 N Main St., Downtown Auburn, IN (260)333-0238 Monday-Friday 10-5:30, Saturday 10-3 and By Appointment Open Late for all Downtown events Lyn-Marees.com Like me on Facebook

SIMPLEGLOW CANDLE CO. #letsgetglowing www.simpleglowcandleco.com

Available Exclusively at Pinspired Marketplace & Smiley's Joy

For just $99 per month for 6 months or $95 for 12 months, you can run a full color, business card sized ad on our gloLocal page with the added bonus of weekly “shop local” social media promotion. All businesses included are tagged on Facebook and Instagram, giving them added exposure to our 4,000+ followers and fans.

For more information or to advertise contact:

Melinda Musselman Cell: 219-510-3449 1-866-580-1138 vm Ext: 2481 Mmusselman@the-papers.com