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Habitat for Humanity house in Akron constructed mostly by women
Published on Monday, Dec 08, 2008
They say the housing market is slow, but Summit County's Habitat for Humanity will close on four home sales this holiday season.
One of them is particularly noteworthy: It was built almost entirely by women.
A two-story home on Noble Avenue, just off Copley Road in West Akron, was dedicated Sunday afternoon, the second Habitat dedication of the day.
Warren and Kim Meredith and their two teenage sons took the keys amid smiles, laughter and tears of joy.
''Generally,'' said Rachel Fisher, the local group's executive director, ''when women go out onto a Habitat job site, they are a little bit intimidated when they arrive, because they see a lot of men and a bunch of power tools and they're not really sure what to do.''
Some women are so intimidated that they don't return, she said. So the international group urges its chapters to try an occasional house built entirely by women.
They came close this time — about 90 percent of the work was done by females. The site supervisors were men, and men did some of the subcontracting.
The only other structure built by women among Summit's 138 Habitat houses went up in 2001.
On Sunday, about 20 volunteers, sponsors and friends gathered in the living room of the house, which has light-green aluminum siding and dark-green trim. The visitors left their
shoes at the front door, attempting to spare the new carpet from melting snow.
Warren Meredith joked that, when he heard his house would be built exclusively by women, he wondered whether that would take him off the hook for the ''sweat equity'' requirement.
Habitat families must invest at least 500 hours into their houses, which generally cost $80,000.
Not that the work is all sweat and no fun. On work days, Meredith said, ''there is so much love and camaraderie.''
''They come with a heart to work, and it's exciting.''
Kim Meredith, who spent a good deal of time dabbing happy tears, read a letter of thanks and recited a Bible verse, as did sons, Caleb, 16, and Daniel, 13.
Warren Meredith, 47, is a telemarketer for InfoCision. Kim Meredith, 49, is a medical secretary.
The house is within walking distance of their previous home on Amelia Avenue, where they lived for 16 years. They ran into financial trouble there when Warren was laid off from Bank One. They were about to lose the house to foreclosure when members of their church stepped in, bought it and rented it to them.
But now they have a house of their own, a bigger one, which will enable the boys to have their own room.
Another Habitat sale closed just two hours earlier on Crouse Street in Akron.
And, yes, contrary to widespread belief, Habitat houses are not given away. They are purchased by the people who live there. The buyers are given 20-year, interest-free loans.
Their income must be 30 to 80 percent of the area's median income, and their monthly debt-to-income ratio must be less than 40 percent.
Seven local organizations sponsored the Merediths' house. The money from their mortgage will be recycled for future projects.
They say the housing market is slow, but Summit County's Habitat for Humanity will close on four home sales this holiday season.
Get the full article here.
Comments
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Posted 07:10 AM, 12/08/2008
Nice job Lesa!
Columbus, OH
Posted 09:12 AM, 12/08/2008
CONGRADS..... NICE JOB
Akron, OH
Posted 10:18 AM, 12/08/2008
My hat is off to you both, Warren you have given so much to the youth of the community, you deserve the blessings you and Kim have received.
Merry Christmas
Posted 02:33 PM, 12/08/2008
there is so much a woman can do this day & age. there are still alot of women in society that are not recognized for their skills just because they are a woman & alot of times they are underpaid. Yeah for the women!! I admire a woman that can do a job which some think only a male can do. I am all for a man ...or a woman... that can do a job such as construction, which can require many skills ...as well as the physical aspect!!
Sterling, Oh
Posted 05:58 PM, 12/08/2008
Nonprofit, tax exempt, Habitat for Humanity defies demands of Natural Law (what Mother Nature, God, or Whatever Power decreed to be the reality of the real world), God, democracy, capitalism, the US Constitution, and free, fair, and affordable commerce.
Demanding every corporation, farmer, business, outsourcer sweatshop, and nonprofit, tax-exempt, organization and Church markets the cost of building Habitat for Humanity housing in the wholesale and retail price of his or her product and service. And cost of every workers, consumers, and taxpayers living (including pension and health care). Enabling parents to love, nurse, nurture, discipline, protect, and provide, for every child (job) they conceive and fund schools, infrastructure, national security, government services, and etc.; with money derived from wages or independent business profit.
Posted 08:48 PM, 12/08/2008
Eddie
There's always one that refuse to see joy You just had to speak on the ugly...Honey Stop Let the Devil Use YOU...Merry Christmas to all of you and what a Christmas it will Be!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
