Church congregations come together to build Habitat homes in Shelby

Habitat for Humanity of Cleveland County is not only building homes but bridging divides and bringing together people from different backgrounds for a common cause.

Recently, the nonprofit partnered with five local churches to work on new houses at Young Oak Square at the corner of Young and Oak streets.

Habitat Humanity church build was kicked off earlier this year, and people from various congregations and denominations have helped frame houses at Young Oak Square.

Richard Hart, a retired Presbyterian pastor and on the board of directors for Habitat for Humanity, said he always says that like minds come together.

When a local pastor encouraged churches to support Habitat, several jumped on board, including Hart’s church, Shelby Presbyterian.

In February, five congregations committed to forming a partnership by sponsoring a house, raising funds and recruiting volunteers to help with building.

Habitat for Humanity Director Amy Allen said the church partnership with Habitat has been a blessing.

The churches created a mission endowment fund and agreed to provide matching funds.

The five churches who committed to the project are Shelby Presbyterian, Ryburn Memorial Presbyterian, New Creation Christian Center, Eastside Baptist and St. Mary Help of Christians Catholic Church.

A steering committee was created and planned two Saturday framing days in July.

Volunteers started by framing the outside and then inside walls for two new houses.

Both days, over 50 volunteers showed up.

Volunteers were given T-shirts, and they came up with a logo and the theme, “Christians building in unity.”

In addition to helping build the houses, it provided an opportunity for people from different denominations to get to know each other, share a meal and work together.

“We’re trying to create friendships across denominational lines,” Hart said.

The first day they started framing the outside walls around 8:30 a.m. and expected to be done around 2 p.m. The group was done by lunch.

“We got the work done fast and well,” Hart said.

Each day was started with breakfast provided by one of the churches and a devotion.

Hart said volunteers came from all backgrounds and walks of life with varying degrees of skills.

Some helped with construction while others volunteered to do site cleanup, move dirt or provide hospitality such as bringing water to the crews.

Three of the houses are being built this year with the first one framed by an all women crew during the women’s build.

“The church partnership is ongoing until the houses are completed,” Hart said.

That will take around eight or nine months.

“The idea is a congregation will stick with the project until it's completed,” he said.

He talked about the owners putting in sweat equity and working side by side with the volunteers on their future homes.

“We don’t build houses for people, we build houses with people,” he said. “We thank them for giving us the opportunity to work on their home."

“It’s been very exciting,” Allen said. “At every meeting we've had, it’s been a very sweet spirit.”

She said there is camaraderie and people have enjoyed getting to know each other.

And that enthusiasm has carried through the summer.

“The excitement from the churches hasn't waned,” she said.

Volunteers have assisted the regular Habitat volunteers and have supplemented the Thursday work days that had dwindled down to just a handful.

“Our goal is to build quality homes and have importation relationships develop,” Hart said.

“My experience is, once someone comes to a Habitat site, they catch the fever.”

Hart said Habitat was founded on Christian principles, and the church partnership has facilitated people working together and bridging denominational divides.

He said they don’t discriminate based on faith and would even like to have an interfaith build someday with Muslims, Christians, Buddhists and those of other faiths working together.

“We’re hoping this sort of plants the seed,” he said. “Encourage other congregations to do the same thing.”

He said it brought people together, not only across denominations but languages, cultures and ethnicities. The builds had volunteers who are Hispanic, Black and white.

He said it was interracial and interdenominational.

Volunteers work on the homes every Thursday and every second or fourth Saturday of the month.

For more information on Cleveland County Habitat for Humanity visit habitatforhumanitycc.com or find them on Facebook.

This article originally appeared on The Shelby Star: Church congregations come together to build Habitat homes