Events Calendar
In This Section
Most Read Stories
Police accuse bank robbery suspect of gobbling up note (with dashcam video)
Victim of beating in Kent last week is declared dead at Akron hospital
Can DNA tests free ex-Akron captain?
Dad accused of forcing son into field, killing him
Man found dead in North Akron home is identified
Does it work? Test team returns to try out new products advertised on television
Blogs:
Pets:
The Heldenfiles:
Sunday Notebook
Patrick McManamon:
Browns sick after sick loss in Detroit
Akron Zips:
Zips advance to Sweet Sixteen
Tribe Matters:
Seven players added to Tribe’s 40-man roster
Cleveland Browns:
Post-game defensive quotes
Kent State Sports:
Kent State defeats Rochester College, 63-44
Cleveland Cavaliers:
Gameblog: Cavs vs. Philadelphia 76ers
Buckeye Blogging:
OSU – Michigan college football rivals meet in Baghdad
Varsity Letters:
Four area football teams play tonight
All Da King's Men:
The Sunday Sanity Challenge
Blog of Mass Destruction:
Will Health Care Reform Pass?
Akron Law Café:
Health Care Financing Reform: (69) The Brookings Institute Study on "Bending the Curve" – Four General Strategies
See Jane Style:
Vintage Chic
Car Chase:
TIME TO GET YOUR COLLECTOR CARS WINTERIZED
Let's Talk Real Estate:
Silverdome Potentially SOLD!
Ohio Travels with Betty:
George is looking for a Thanksgiving buffet in Akron.
Sound Check:
Steely Dan Plays "The Royal Scam" at E.J. Thomas Hall
HRLite House:
A Random Rant on Testing
Akron Gamer:
Nintendo's Mario endures even as games come and go
Habitat for Humanity of Summit County will celebrate milestone with formal groundbreaking today in Stow
By Jim Carney
Beacon Journal staff writer
Published on Monday, Apr 13, 2009
STOW: Rochelle Fisher often drove by three vacant lots within one block along Graham Road and dreamed about Habitat for Humanity houses.
Fisher, executive director of Habitat for Humanity of Summit County, wanted to build Habitat homes outside Akron, and the lots in Stow looked perfect.
''I passed them a dozen times and I thought, 'I've got to find out about those lots,' '' she said.
Formal groundbreaking will occur on the Stow project at 1:30 p.m. today at 2285 Graham Road, even though work on the three homes already has begun.
The new outreach into suburban Summit County has been a goal of Fisher's since she took over the nonprofit Christian housing ministry's local chapter three years ago.
''This is truly a milestone for Habitat for Humanity of Summit County,'' she said.
Of 143 houses built in Summit County since the group's founding in 1987, only six have been outside Akron: One is in Copley Township and five are in Barberton.
Almost all of the houses were built in Akron because lots were less expensive and public utilities were readily available.
But Fisher plans to seek funding for six more homes outside Akron.
She was looking for a Stow site because one of the families in line for a home lived and wanted to stay there since one of the children was enrolled in a special-needs program in the community.
Annie Looft Garduno and her husband, Arturo, applied for a Habitat home in late 2006 and were approved in early 2007. They immediately began putting in 500 hours — 250 hours each — of the volunteer requirement.
Initially, they were selected for an Akron home, but that became a problem last year when the one child began attending a special program at Stow-Munroe Falls' Indian Trail Elementary School.
Annie Garduno said the family was close to dropping out of the Habitat program to stay in Stow for the school program.
But Fisher was able to secure the lots on Graham Road and the family was put on the list for one of those new homes.
''Rochelle really went to work for our family,'' said Garduno, 30, who has a teaching degree and is working on a master's degree at Kent State University. Her husband is a drywall and painting contractor.
Cost of homes
Fisher said the three Stow homes will probably cost about $110,000 each.
Families that meet income and other qualifications must volunteer hours at Habitat building sites and receive a no-interest 20- to 30-year loan to pay back Habitat for the cost of the house.
Melissa Robison of Akron and her 11-year-old daughter will move into another of the Stow homes.
Robison, 29, a licensed practical nurse, said she and her daughter often drive by the site.
''I look at the cement in the ground,'' she said. ''That is how excited I am.''
The Central-Hower High School graduate said she feels blessed to have been chosen as a Habitat family.
''It is unbelievable,'' she said.
The homes on Graham Road are partially funded by the Summit County Economic Development Department and HOME Partnership Funds.
Fisher gives a lot of credit to County Executive Russ Pry for the new Stow Habitat houses, expected to be finished before Christmas.
Fisher said she talked with Pry shortly after he took office about the need to grow outside Akron and he came through: Summit County will allocate about $40,000 in federal funds for each of the three Stow houses.
Pry praised the work of Habitat for Humanity, saying, ''I would like to thank all of the partnering organizations, volunteers and project sponsors for going to such great lengths to provide safe and affordable housing opportunities for area families.''
Garduno's house is sponsored by Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, which donated nearly $81,000 for the home, and members of area Lutheran churches will help with construction.
Coalition of help
Robison's house will be built by volunteers from the Hudson Coalition of churches and businesses, who also will pay $40,000 for the house. In addition, Habitat will request $40,000 from a FirstEnergy Habitat grant.
The third house, which has not yet been assigned a family, is also expected to be funded from a $40,000 FirstEnergy grant, along with other money from the Ohio Housing Trust Fund and the Federal Home Loan Bank of Cincinnati.
Fisher also praised Stow Mayor Karen Fritschel.
''We look forward to meeting the new families and helping them adjust to their new surroundings,'' Fritschel said.
The Summit Habitat group is bound by its covenant to build in all of the county, Fisher said.
''Our goal is to serve the entire county,'' she said.
And after Habitat signs were erected at the Graham Road sites, it became clear that there are willing volunteers who welcome the expansion.
''Since we put the signs up and dug the holes, our phones have been ringing off the hook from people in Stow,'' she said.
For more about Habitat for Humanity of Summit County, call 330-785-2700 or go to http://www.hfhsummitcounty.org.
Jim Carney can be reached at 330-996-3576 or jcarney@thebeaconjournal.com.
STOW: Rochelle Fisher often drove by three vacant lots within one block along Graham Road and dreamed about Habitat for Humanity houses.
Get the full article here.
Comments
Click here to post your comments
Orrville, Oh
Posted 02:51 PM, 04/13/2009
Reality demands union workers, consumers, taxpayers, and America's grandchildren pay for donors tax refund for supporting nonprofit, tax exempt Habitat for Humanity and fund volunteers without wages and nonunion parasites.
Paying with welfare checks, food stamps, housing vouchers, and Medicaid.
This concept is defiant of demands of Natural Law, God, Democracy, Capitalism, the US Constitution, and free, fair, and affordable commerce!
Akron, OH
Posted 03:43 PM, 04/13/2009
I think that the work Habitat For Humanity does is most noble and am happy to support the group's efforts.
I'm also a big proponent of using free coupons from iShopStark.com to help people in need. What I mean by that is that I like to get a buy one/get one free coupon and give the free meal to someone I don't know...and encourage them to PAY IT FORWARD.
I've been on an assignment in Stark County recently and found there are free coupons for all sorts of restaurants, services and attractions at iShopStark.com. Using the site allows you to save money, help other people and support local businesses so it's a huge WIN/WIN.
Posted 10:03 PM, 04/14/2009
Loren,
You don't understand how Habitat actually works, and your post proves it.
You've been reading too much Ayn Rand.
Posted 02:35 PM, 04/15/2009
Wow... Someone with a teaching degree (and able to afford more scooling) and a husband who is a contractor, can qualify for a Habitat home, but mt family with a disabled wife and two children cant?... Who do I pay off for consideration??
