Habitat' "Panel Build" Saturday, May 13th

Apr 28, 2017 at 11:23 am by bryan


Rutherford County Area Habitat for Humanity (RCHFH) is partnering with St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Murfreesboro for an exciting one-day "Panel Build" event in which all of the exterior and interior walls for a Habitat house are built in just 5 hours! The "family-friendly" event will take place from 9:00 o'clock Saturday morning, May 13th, until 3:30 that afternoon. It will be in the parking lot of the church at 315 East Main Street in downtown Murfreesboro.

The Habitat St. Paul's Panel Build event will also include activities for the entire family, including craft projects for kids, food, and fun for all ages. People are invited to bring the whole family to volunteer on the build, watch the construction process, be in social media and the final team photo, participate in craft activities and enjoy the fun.

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The first nail will be driven at 9 a.m. and a temporary Habitat house will be constructed on the spot, as the walls are built. The Habitat house is expected to be completed by 2:30 p.m. Panel Build participants will work hand-in-hand with Habitat Future Homeowners, learn about the need for affordable housing in Rutherford County, and sign the walls with words of encouragement, wisdom and prayers. After photos with the build crews and event attendees, the house will be dismantled and the walls will be moved to the actual residential site where the whole Habitat house will be built. The general public is welcome to watch the event and there will be some opportunities for walk-up volunteers.

St. Paul's & Rutherford County Area Habitat for Humanity History:

Throughout the history of St. Paul's the parish has been confronted with moving the location of the church building. In 1929 the parish moved the building from Spring Street to its current location on East Main. Later on in the late 1960's St. Paul's bought property on Clark Boulevard in anticipation of a move to that location. By 1971, the parish changed its mind and sold the Clark Blvd. property. In the late 1990's as the parish was growing significantly and added a third worship service on Sunday morning, the Clergy and Vestry engaged with the parish in a long range planning process to discern where and what God was calling them to be as a thriving parish. It was after this long and thoughtful process that again, the decision was to remain and claim presence as a downtown church and minister to the "neighborhood footprint".

Meanwhile, the Rutherford County Habitat for Humanity affiliate was established by a group of volunteers in 1989 and began the ministry of helping people move into a home with an affordable mortgage, offering "a hand up, not a hand out".

It is no coincidence that the decision of St. Paul's to remain a downtown church has been influenced to some degree by the same inspiration of those early volunteers at Rutherford County Area Habitat for Humanity. Habitat has built 145 homes of which approximately 75% of those are in the downtown footprint.

The wall panels are being built for a Habitat build on 712 Carver Street in Murfreesboro. Future homeowner Anika will be on hand at the St. Paul's Panel Build and the actual construction of her house will start July 14 and be completed by September 21 with a House Dedication and Ribbon Cutting event to follow soon after.

Future Habitat Homeowner Anika is excited to build her house in July. "Nika" has been working to compete her 400 hours of "sweat equity" required to be in the Habitat program. She has also completed the 30-week Financial and Homeowner Education program and has her finances in order so she can qualify for the 0-interest mortgage to buy her Habitat home. This unique process encourages homeowners to be prepared to maintain their home, manage their money, and be invested in the program and the neighborhood. Applications for the Habitat Homeowner Program are open every February - March 31. More about the qualifications and application process are on the website: www.rchfh.org .

About Rutherford County Area Habitat for Humanity (RCHFH)

Rutherford County Area Habitat for Humanity, a non-profit, non-denominational Christian housing ministry, seeks to bring people together to build homes, communities, and hope. This is done through building quality, affordable, sustainable houses while partnering alongside low-income, qualified applicants. Homes are built by RCHFH construction staff, future homeowners, and community volunteers. After a home is completed, it is sold to the future homeowner at no profit with a zero interest loan. We build strength, stability, self-reliance and shelter.

About St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Murfreesboro

Founded in 1892, St. Paul's Episcopal Church is a community of 275-plus families united in the worship of God through Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The congregation is led in worship by its Rector Rev. James K. Polk Van Zandt, Associate Rector Rev. Colin M. Ambrose, and Assistant to the Rector Dr. David Rowe. The Music Minister is Mrs. Angela Tipps, and the Children's Ministry Coordinator is Diane Baker. Our Rector Emeritus, The Reverend Eugene Wise, Jr. is the Rector Emeritus.

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