With a brief prayer and bowed heads Maumee Valley Habitat for Humanity launched into 2023, unveiling its first housing build with a dedication on Tuesday.
Volunteers and media walked through the new home of Marquia Graham, a 32-year-old mother of two, with big plans for the future. “We're demolishing and renovating my future home,” she said with a smile.
Ms. Graham’s house is a fixer-upper that is being renovated in West Toledo but has already provided Ms. Graham and her father with hope for what will come next.
“She's very happy and she's very excited,” said Marvin Graham, 66, father of Ms. Graham.
For Ms. Graham, home ownership was something she was determined to achieve, but she said Maumee Valley Habitat for Humanity allowed her to take that step in just one year.
“If I didn't have Habitat, I honestly don't know when it would have happened,” she said of home ownership.
“Like I said, it's all God's timing,” she said.
In March, 2022 Ms. Graham began her journey with Habitat for Humanity. She recalled that at the time, she wasn't really confident about home ownership actually happening.
But now on the other side of sweat equity hours, budgeting classes, and some practical home improvement skills, she said homeownership seemed like the logical progression.
On Tuesday, it reached a noticeable benchmark in the renovation effort.
“We always like to celebrate the blessing day, as we call it,” said Michael McIntyre, executive director for Maumee Valley Habitat for Humanity
“It's the first day of meaningful work here.”
And Ms. Graham’s house was blessed with prayer by an elder from the Universal New Beginnings Church of God in Christ, Brandon Waites.
“This is truly something special that Habitat for Humanity does,” Mr. Waites said. “This is us being the hands and feet of Jesus.”
Afterward, volunteers lined up with Sharpies to write encouragements on the inside of the foundation wall in a ceremonious gesture of solidarity with Ms. Graham’s bright future in the new home.
“We would like you to think of some words of hope and thanks in prayer for Marquia and her family to be living in this house,” Mr. McIntyre said to everyone gathered.
“The house is full of people just really trying to cheer on the family that's going to be moving in here.”
Last year, Maumee Valley Habitat for Humanity completed 13 homes, leading to the group’s most productive year in more than a decade.
Mr. McIntyre spoke of Habitat for Humanity’s specific approach to home building and credited much of the success to the passion of the board.
“It's really the leadership of the board and demonstrating that we've got the capacity to do more in our community,” Mr. McIntyre said. He asked and hoped for more volunteers to help with the work in 2023.
And as far as Ms. Graham is concerned, she is more than pleased and ready to pass down what she has learned to others. She mentioned that she would teach her 13-year-old daughter, Harmoni, everything she learned through Habitat.
“This is a family now,” Ms. Graham said. “I'm not just here just to get a house.”
