When Bill Homer called Cleveland County Habitat for Humanity, he said immediately, “We are a community church in Moore, Oklahoma. Do you know what that means? It means that we donate to causes that we feel are helping in our community. Habitat for Humanity provides a great service to families in need of a home. We’ll put our dollars behind that!” And with that wonderful statement, gentlemen from the church went to the offices of Cleveland County Habitat for Humanity and made a donation of $1,500. “The money is part of the proceeds from our May golf tournament”, says Homer, “We are excited to donate the money to a good cause.”

Bill Homer, Duane Latta, and CD Payne were the representatives from First Christian Church who presented the check to Cleveland County Habitat for Humanity. Cleveland County Habitat for Humanity is grateful for the donation. “We are constantly searching for cost-saving measures when building homes. Every nail is accounted for; every expense is planned,” says Outreach Manager , Tracy Curtis, “We hope to be good stewards of every penny we receive. This is a Christian Housing Ministry, and putting families into homes is our number one priority.”

Cleveland County Habitat for Humanity relies on these types of donations to keep its doors open. “We are driven by volunteerism and community,” says Curtis. “Our partnerships within the faith community are so important. The idea of going out into the community to serve others, in the way that Jesus’ apostles served, has attracted individuals in many churches to volunteering with Habitat. In partnership with Cleveland County Habitat for Humanity, churches can share God’s love by building houses. THANK YOU to First Christian Church of Moore!”

“To someone who’s never had a home of their own before, a key is precious metal. It opens more than just a door; it opens up a whole new way of life. That’s why Habitat for Humanity is so close to my heart. Everyone deserves a decent, affordable home, and together we can make that happen,” Reba McEntire, singer.

Cleveland County Habitat for Humanity is excited to announce Ethan Shroll and his brother, William, as the recipients of the next Habitat Home. Ethan and William currently live in Norman, Oklahoma. Ethan initially sought out Habitat in order to provide a decent, affordable home for both him and his brother. Their current living conditions are in disrepair, with poor heating and located in a dangerous neighborhood. However, it is all they are able to afford. In a search for low-cost housing with improved living conditions, Ethan decided to apply for a Habitat home. He is making an attempt to improve their standard of living out of love for his brother and desire for them to lead a better life. He has proven to be financially responsible and a great fit for a Habitat mortgage. CCHFH is proud to have Ethan and William as one of their own and are very excited to start working with them. Ethan and William will be moving into a home at 827 Stewart, located in east Norman. It is the perfect size for the two of them. Habitat is beginning renovation of the Stewart home at the start of January and hopes that you will volunteer to help!

Cleveland County Habitat for Humanity is equally proud to announce Sandy Chambers and her family as the recipients of the 4th Women Build Habitat home. The four bedroom home will be constructed in Norman for Sandy, her daughter, and three grandchildren. Sandy Chambers decided to apply for a home because her current living conditions are overcrowded, in bad repair and a cost burden on the family. She provides the sole income in the household because her daughter has a disability which inhibits her ability for employment. A Habitat home would greatly improve their living conditions and lift a great financial burden from the family. CCHFH is very excited to have her become part of our Habitat family!

Jana Castleberry, Executive Director of CCHFH, said even though Habitat is able to provide affordable housing to these families through donations and volunteer work, families receiving the homes must work hard in partnership. Adults who receive a home must provide “sweat equity” by volunteering 300 hours toward the construction of their home, or for other CCHFH causes. “It gives the incoming family a sense of ownership of their home before they even get in the door,” Castleberry said. “I think it helps them understand how their home is working once they become a homeowner. They’re working with and meeting volunteers, and they gain a little bit of a bond with the greater Habitat community that way.”

Castleberry said although Habitat is weathering the current economic storm, it is receiving fewer donations, which means it potentially takes a little longer to get families into homes. A typical home costs about $90,000. Once built, Habitat sells the home to families at the cost of materials by providing them a zero-interest loan. The mortgage is also adjusted so families are not required to pay more than 30 percent of their gross monthly income. People who would like to donate to Cleveland County Habitat for Humanity to assist with the mission of eliminating poverty housing, please visit www.cchfh.org or direct mail to 1835 Industrial Boulevard, Norman, Oklahoma 73069. Volunteer opportunities are available; sign up at www.cchfh.org.

Thank you for donating almost 13,000 bricks to CCHFH! That is enough to brick our Women Build house on Weatherford Drive. Donations like this are the reason we are able to provide home ownership at such an affordable cost. Thank you so much.

We have so many thanks to give for all the many people who contributed time, money, and professional services to help make our inaugural Ball a great success. We had over 200 people attend and raised $4600. We are already signing up for next year, so make plans to join us!

Searching for a great bargain? Our yard sale at the ReSTORE is scheduled from Thursday, October 21 – Saturday, October 23, open to close. We have a wide variety of items for sale, from children and adults clothing to DVDs to fitness equipment and much more. Proceeds from our sale go directly toward providing decent, affordable housing for local families in need.
We invite you to donate items for the sale. Drop off your donation anytime between now and October 21. Volunteers are encouraged to assist as we approach the sale. We need help sorting and pricing our donated goods. Call 405.360.7868 for more information.