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On Tuesday, Sept. 12, at 5:30 p.m., Marisol Rea will welcome family and friends to celebrate the dedication of her new Habitat for Humanity home at 36 Spencer Court in Greenhouse Village north of Lexington.
Rea, who grew up in Mexico and moved to Virginia at a young age, was told by many that she would never own a home as a single mother.
When she qualified for a Habitat home, she quickly learned that she had the attitude and ability to become a homeowner – something that she hopes her young son will bear in mind.
“I hope as he grows, he will know how to build homes, help others, and be thankful,” she said.
The COVID-19 pandemic affected every corner of the country, and Rea’s homebuying process was no exception.
Increased prices of building supplies, delayed turnaround times, and lack of regular volunteers all but froze the Habitat build site in time before gradual work could continue.
Rea, said a Habitat spokesman, went above and beyond to complete more than her required 200 hours of sweat equity on her own home as well as her neighbors’ homes, and after the first 100 hours of work – as is standard for Habitat family partners – she brought in friends and family to help with the remaining 100 hours, many of whom brought a high level of skill to the build site.
Over the course of her partnership, Rea learned the valuable skills needed to build a house, got to know her new neighbors, and felt the love of volunteers who came together to ensure that she would achieve her dream. In pouring as much hard work and effort into her home as mortar into the foundation, Rea can speak to the agency of homeownership.
“Habitat has made my dream possible,” she said, and the handprints that she and her son left in the foundation will be lasting proof.
A spokesman for Rockbridge Area Habitat for Humanity said the organization joins Rea’s family in thanking and recognizing the many donors, volunteers, and sponsors who contributed to their home, especially Grace Episcopal Church through its Gadsden Grant and the Katie Letcher Lyle Trust.
Rae’s home is one of 37 Habitat homes to be built in Greenhouse Village, where 27 lots are now owned by Habitat partner families with 10 either in progress or to be built by 2025. All remaining Greenhouse Village lots have been assigned to partner families who are already working on their own sweat equity hours.
Greenhouse Village represents a collaborative partnership between Habitat, the Rockbridge County Board of Supervisors, the Rockbridge County Planning Office, Center Shenandoah Planning District Commission, and the Department of Housing and Community Development.
Once completed, Habitat will begin construction at Tricoli Court – formerly known as McCoy Park – where seven lots await homes, and one partner family has already been assigned.
Rockbridge Area Habitat offers local income-stressed families a hand up, not a handout as it partners with them to build strength, stability, and self-reliance through affordable housing.
