-
With tiny Journiee Burnney peering out from the center, her mother Ikeirra beside her was joined by (l-r) Habitat board member Linda Moore, builder Clark Harper, Eatonton Mayor John Reid and other family members as they each tossed a ceremonial shovelful of dirt for the World Habitat Day groundbreaking. -
Eatonton City Councilmember Janie Reid read and presented an official city proclamation supporting World Habitat Day to HFH Putnam Executive Director Murali Thirumal. -
Flanked by Putnam Habitat for Humanity board member Jack McDonald and her children, Barbara Monday (second from left) was all smiles as she participated Monday in the official groundbreaking ceremony for her new home to be completed by early next spring on South Madison Street in Eatonton.
In 1985, the United Nations declared the first Monday of October as World Habitat Day, intended for worldwide reflection on the basic right of everyone to adequate shelter. The day also is meant to remind all countries, cities and municipalities worldwide of their collective responsibility for the future of human housing.
Habitat for Humanity (HFH) of Putnam County recognized and celebrated the day with dual groundbreakings on Oct. 2 for new homes to be constructed just south of downtown Eatonton. The first will be built on the west side of South Madison Street, on a lot between two previous HFH constructions, while the second will be nearby on West Walnut Street where it meets Lafayette.
With Eatonton Mayor John Reid’s arrival delayed by a prior obligation, his wife and city council member Janie Reid presented an official city proclamation supporting World Habitat Day to HFH Putnam Executive Director Murali Thirumal.
It read in part, “We have the power and responsibility to shape the future of our communities so that everyone has the ability to obtain safe, affordable shelter in Eatonton and Putnam County.”
The mayor arrived within minutes of the proclamation and joined HFH Putnam board member, Jack McDonald, contractor Clark Harper of Harper Custom Construction, and soon-to-be homeowner Barbara Monday and her children in tossing the ceremonial first shovelfuls of dirt to begin construction.
Monday, who works for the Putnam County Board of Education, as well as part-time at Ingles supermarket, said she applied to Habitat for Humanity in April this year and was approved for her new home in July, but didn’t learn of its location until just two weeks ago.
“We’re all excited,” she said. “My children are looking forward to having good Wi-Fi here in town. We’re out in the country right now.”
As soon as the first groundbreaking was completed, the entire HFH production headed to the West Walnut address, where this time the mayor and Harper were joined by Habitat board member Linda Moore, new homeowner Ikeirra Burnney with her daughter Journiee, and other family members.
Burnney, a pharmacy technician at Walmart, said she also applied late in April and learned in July she had been approved for a Habitat interest-free mortgage. She also learned of her new address in mid-September and immediately drove over to check things out.
“I couldn’t believe it. I asked a neighbor here if I had the right address and she said yes,” Burnney recalled. “And she was so nice, she really just welcomed me in. She was like, ‘If you got kids, we welcome them here.’ So, she’ll have a lot of friends to play with, so yeah, this is great.”
Reid said he’s happy to support Habitat’s mission in Eatonton since it provides homeownership opportunities to people who might otherwise never get the chance. He called it “a big deal” to buy a home these days.
“For them to be making a way for homeowners to make it, it’s very important to the community,” Reid said. “So, if there’s any way I can support that process, then I’m certainly going to do everything I can to be here, to say, let’s keep moving. “What we work toward with the community is trying to figure out a way to make housing affordable for families. We work with apartments to at least make sure people have somewhere to stay if they can’t afford to buy a home.
“And then I talk to people on many occasions who want to move home here, but they don’t want the whole homeowner experience. They don’t want to cut the lawn; they don’t want to fix the roof; they want somebody to take care of things like that. But they want in-town housing, things of that nature, so we are working toward getting those things in our community, too.
“But for a new homeowner, this is the way of building wealth. Almost everything you buy depreciates its value, but a home, you take care of it and it’s going to appreciate in value. So, you’re building wealth for the next generation. And with Habitat for Humanity, this is an opportunity for people who normally would not have that chance to do it now.”
Katherine Mahlberg of HFH Putnam said the local Interfor lumber processing plant is donating all lumber for both new builds in Eatonton, and homebuilder Harper said he expects both houses will be move-in ready by early next spring.