By Michael Howell
A groundbreaking ceremony was held in Stevensville last Sunday to celebrate the new Habitat for Humanity home going in at 103 Mission Street. It is going up right next door to another Habitat for Humanity home that was constructed in 2014. Active in the valley since 1998, the organization has helped eight families build and purchase homes of their own in Stevensville, Hamilton, Corvallis and Darby.
Habitat for Humanity of Ravalli County is part of a global, nonprofit housing organization dedicated to eliminating substandard housing locally and worldwide through constructing, rehabilitating and preserving homes; by advocating for fair and just housing policies; and by providing training and access to resources to help families improve their shelter conditions. It was founded on the conviction that every man, woman and child should have a simple, durable place to live in dignity and safety, and that decent shelter in decent communities should be a matter of conscience and action for all.
Habitat for Humanity builds simple, decent and affordable homes and sells them to families at no profit, through interest-free loans. Volunteers provide most of the labor, and individual and corporate donors provide money and materials to build Habitat houses. Partner families themselves invest hundreds of hours of labor – “sweat equity” – into building their homes and the homes of others. Their mortgage payments go into a revolving Fund for Humanity that is used to help build more houses.
The owner of the new home going up in Stevensville, Courtney Cords, and her daughters Nova Lee and Mia, were on hand Sunday to stick a shovel in the ground along with Habitat for Humanity Board Chairman David Haywood, County Commissioner Greg Chilcott and Stevensville Mayor Paul Ludington. But Courtney’s work is just beginning. She will be putting in a lot of hours on construction of the new home, as “sweat equity” is a big part of the deal.
Cords said that she first heard about the program from her mother, Stephanie, whom she is currently living with.
“I put in an application and kept my fingers crossed and I was accepted,” said Cords. “It’s a great thing and I am so thankful.”
Anyone wishing to help in the project may download and print the Volunteer Application found on the organization’s website at ravallihabitat.org. The completed application may be mailed to: Habitat for Humanity, PO Box 2221, Hamilton MT 59840. You will promptly be contacted by the Volunteer Coordinator.