Habitat to hold Blessing of the Build to kick off Lenoir County project

Ceremony set for 10AM, Jan. 17 – MLK Jr. Day – at 925 McCaskill Dr., Kinston

Habitat for Humanity of Goldsboro-Wayne is scheduled to hold a Blessing of the Build ceremony on Monday, Jan. 17, to kick off its Lenoir County Build 2022 project. The ceremony, which should only last about 15 minutes, will begin at 10AM and will be at the Habitat job site at 925 McCaskill Dr., Kinston. There ceremony also will be live streamed on the Habitat Goldsboro-Wayne Facebook page - facebook.com/habitat.goldsboro.

Work toward this project began in late 2020 when Habitat Goldsboro-Wayne began advertising for a homeownership opportunity in Kinston. This opportunity was made possible through a partnership between the NC Office of State Budget and Management and had a goal of identifying a low- to moderate-income family affected by one of the recent hurricanes who was qualified for Habitat homeownership.

Ultimately, through an open application process, Habitat selected Beatrice Lane in early 2021. Lane, the mother of three children, is employed at Fairfield Inn and Suites in Kinston and was impacted by Hurricane Florence. 

“It’s going to be a safe and stable place for my family, and something I can leave them when I’m gone,” Ms. Lane said.

Since her selection into the program Ms. Lane has been working on her required minimum 300 hours of sweat equity, which has included working at the Habitat ReStore and on other homeowners’ homes. Now work is set to begin on hers and volunteer opportunities are available.

If anyone is interested in volunteering, they should contact the Habitat Volunteer/Donor Coordinator Terri Taylor at volunteer@habitatgoldsboro.org or 919-736-9592 x4. The goal for this project is to complete construction by the end of June 2022. 

Additionally, this project has a $50,000 fundraising goal that will match a $50,000 grant that Habitat Goldsboro-Wayne will receive for this project. Donations can be made online at www.habitatgoldsboro.org or to 131 E. Walnut St., Goldsboro, NC 27530.

This is the second home since 2001 that Habitat Goldsboro-Wayne has built in Lenoir County, but will be the first in Kinston. And, Habitat Goldsboro-Wayne Executive Director Matthew Whittle hopes it won’t be the last.

“Our goal is for this to be a sort of pilot project for an expansion into Lenoir County. We know there are housing needs in Lenoir and we feel led to be part of the solution. We hope this effort will allow us to begin creating the necessary foundation and relationships to make that possible. We encourage folks to come out on the 17th and to get involved in this project and see what Habitat is all about,” Whittle said.

Habitat for Humanity of Goldsboro-Wayne was founded in 2001 and has built 88 new homes. It also has performed 27 home repairs through its A Brush With Kindness home repair program. All Habitat homeowners are low- to moderate-income and must go through an application process, after which not only do they help build their home and the homes of others, but they also are buying their own home at an affordable monthly mortgage. Habitat’s vision is a community in which everyone has a decent place to live and our mission is to work with our neighbors to build homes, community and hope through affordable homeownership. Learn more at www.habitatgoldsboro.org or contact 919-736-9592 x5 or executive@habitatgoldsboro.org.