Habitat is Built on a Foundation of Faith

Our mission is to build safe, affordable housing with people in Hanover and King William, and that comes from a desire to put God’s love into action.

We are God’s hands and feet, here to serve others and show them His Love. Habitat is offering a tangible experience that will allow you to engage those around you, live your faith, and offer a unique opportunity to love your neighbor. Our upcoming project in Ashland will be a Faith Build. Our goal is to have this home fully staffed and funded by our faith-based community.

Habitat Faith Build is a partnership with local faith-based organizations and businesses. Local churches and friends of the faith community will gather to help build and fund a home for a local family. We are inviting area congregations to put their faith into action by getting involved in this local mission work.

We want faith-based organizations to choose a way to support Habitat – serve, pray, and/or give. What is remarkable about this project is the lot is from one of our Faith Build partners, who will be this homeowner’s new neighbor! Please consider how your congregation can help!

Want Additional Resources?

We have everything from announcements, slides, bulletin inserts, and more!  Download our Faith Build Packet.

If you or your faith-based organization is interested in participating, please contact Amanda Gunter at [email protected] or 804-569-6108 x 104.

Meet Krystal & Nyla, future Faith Build homeowners

Click on Krystal & Nyla’s picture to read about their story!

Join us in construction on the build site on Fridays or Saturdays from 8:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. This opportunity is available to groups of up to 10 individuals. Volunteers must be 16 or older to participate.

Assist with prepping the site for construction, cleaning up the yard and driveway, and/or completing landscaping tasks near the end of construction. Groups of no more than 10 will need to be comfortable with a flexible schedule at the beginning of the build, or near the completion of the home. We would call you when it is time to work on these projects. Volunteers must be 16 or older to participate.

Provide a meal for the volunteers working on the home – either for your organization, another group, or our regular crew of construction volunteers. Volunteers are asked to bring the meal to the worksite. Lunch starts at 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, Friday, or Saturday.

Help a family with a fresh start with the gift of a clean home! This opportunity is open to groups of any size and occurs once construction is complete. This group will need to be flexible as we near the completion of the home. We would call you when it is time to clean.

Does your organization have business owners who can help us offset our subcontractor costs? Roof, plumbing, HVAC, sheetrock, & electrical work are done by professionals. If you know someone who can do this work for free or at a discounted rate, please let us know.

Put together housewarming baskets for the homeowners with items they will need in their new home. Get creative and include whatever you like! Ideas include a cleaning supply basket, kitchen supply basket, laundry essentials basket, etc. These are presented at the Dedication Ceremony and you are invited to join us to present them to the homeowner. To be fair and equitable, we only give three baskets per household. However, if the Faith Build home is spoken for, we would love to have more baskets for future homeowners.

Lift the new Faith Build homeowner up through a personalized card. We have Habitat cards that you can print at home and have kids color, or purchase a special card at the store. Please get your card to the Habitat offices by the end of March and we can display them for the new homeowner! This can also be a great activity for a Sunday School, preschool, or other children’s ministry!

We have activity sheets for families to read daily scripture with activities to save money to contribute to Habitat’s Faith Build. For example, on day 1 deposit 25 cents for every year you have lived in your home. Create a bank from our printable template, or use another creative box!

During your church services or personal quiet time, pray for Habitat homeowners, both past and present, who have built a brighter future for themselves and their families through Habitat’s homeownership program. Pray for each family in whatever circumstance they may find themselves in. Pray for the Faith Build homeowner as they work their sweat equity hours and prepare for homeownership.

Join us as we bless and break ground at this home site! All are welcome! Ceremonies typically take no more than an hour. The date and time of the celebration are shared usually 7 days prior to the event. We expect the groundbreaking to be in December.

Stop by the site and pray with volunteers and staff as they start their day. This can be done on Fridays or Saturdays beginning at 8:30 a.m., and must not last longer than 10 minutes. Individuals or groups interested in doing this must be on our schedule.

The devotion schedule is filled on a first-come, first-serve basis. To sign up for a devotion time, contact Amanda Gunter, Director of Community Engagement at 804-569-6108 x104 or [email protected].

Join us as we dedicate the home to the homeowners and turn over the keys! You may also tour the completed home prior to the ceremony. The date and time of the celebration are usually shared 7 days prior to the event. We expect the dedication to be in April.

We seek to raise $210,000, which is the estimated cost to build this home.

If your organization chooses to partner with Habitat financially, you will be recognized on a sign in front of the home throughout construction. Partner organizations will also appear on programs used at the Groundbreaking and Dedication ceremonies and will be featured in our newsletter and social media posts.

Here is how each level of giving helps us reach our goal of $210,000:

Bountiful Giver at $50,000:

Covers Some of the Land Costs

Blessing Giver at $30,000:

Framing of the Home

Generous Giver at $25,000:

Covers the Remaining Cost of the Land

Prosperity Giver at $15,000:

Footings & Foundation, or Connect Utilities

Peace Giver at $10,000:

Plumbing, Electrical, or Insulation

Delightful Giver at $5,000:

Roof system, Exterior Doors & Windows, Drywall, Cabinets, or Brick Foundation (a town requirement)

Faithful Giver at $3,000:

Siding, Flooring, Interior Doors & Trim, Final Grading, or Surveys

Joyful Giver at $1,500:

Painting, Appliances, Driveway, or Exterior Gutters & Sidewalk

Cheerful Giver at $1,000:

Permits & Inspections

No amount is too small to help offset these costs. If you feel called to support Habitat financially at one of these levels, please let us know by filling out the form and sending it via email or mail.

If you have questions, contact Michele McCabe, Director of Development, at 804-569-6108 x103 or [email protected].

Click here to make an immediate Donation towards our FaithBuild.

Thank You

Thank you to the following churches that have committed to supporting our Faith Build financially.

  • First Baptist Church, Ashland; Bountiful Giver*
  • Fairmount Christian Church; Prosperity Giver
  • Bridge Christian Church, Fisherville; Faithful Giver
  • Ashland Christian Church & Mechanicsville Baptist Church; Cheerful Giver
  • Abner Baptist Church, Epiphany Evangelical Lutheran Church, Independence Christian Church, Mechanicsville Presbyterian Church, Restoration Church, Springfield Christian Church, St. James Baptist Church; Additional Gifts

Thanks to Howell’s Heating & Air for their in-kind donation of the HVAC system and installation.

We are grateful for the support we received from the PDC Housing Development Program for this home. This program seeks to increase the inventory of affordable housing units in underserved markets, including rural areas and historically marginalized communities, with a focus on first-time homebuyers. Through this program, Virginia Housing, PlanRVA, and the  Partnership for Housing Affordability partnered to invest in the work of Hanover & King William Habitat.

*equivalent to their land discount

Contribute to Faith Build

Groundbreaking Ceremony – January 3, 2023

2 women smiling