About 20 employees from Black Hills Federal Credit Union and Salesforce came together on May 11 in a group volunteer effort helping to finish a Black Hills Area Habitat home on Fleet St. and clear the corner lot at Nellie and Sherman Streets in Sturgis. The cleared lot will become home to two Black Hills Area Habitat partner families.
The volunteers persevered through a rainy day with indoor painting, and outdoor shoveling gravel, moving dirt, removing trees, and clearing debris. A shed was deconstructed and removed in preparation for the new home builds.
“Volunteer groups are an important part of our mission,” said Scott Engmann, Black Hills Area Habitat for Humanity Executive Director. “They offer a hand up and the side-by-side support so many families need. While Habitat might set the stage and bring them together, it is the volunteers, our partner families, and our donors and supporters that result in transformative experiences for the families. This helps build strong and healthy communities.”
Meet the Black Hills Area Habitat Partner Families
- Sabrina, a Sturgis native, is going through the process of purchasing her home on Fleet St. through the Black Hills Area Habitat home ownership program. She has worked with Black Hills Special Services for almost a decade and is grateful to be able to live and work close to family.
- Samantha is a longtime resident of Sturgis and has worked at Black Hills Special Services for over a decade. Samantha and her two dogs will be a close neighbor to her sister, Sabrina, who will live right around the corner.
- Richard is Lead/Deadwood area resident and is an experienced cook and the father of two children, ages 12 and 15. He was thrilled when Habitat offered him a lot in Sturgis, where he can easily commute to work and frequently check in with his mother, with whom he has a close relationship.
Black Hills Area Habitat partner families must apply and show a need for improved housing, qualify for a low or no interest mortgages, commit to 250 construction hours on their own house or other partner family houses, and dedicate themselves to a series of courses in home maintenance and financial management offered through a partner organization, Love INC. of the Black Hills.
“We are feeling momentum in Sturgis like never before, and it wouldn’t be possible without the support from the city, the mayor, the chamber of commerce, Sturgis economic development, and local business owners,” Engmann said. “As the region grows and the need for affordable housing expands, Sturgis is at the forefront of finding creative solutions to addressing the crisis.”
To learn more about home ownership through Black Hills Area Habitat, visit https://www.blackhillshabitat.org/homeownership/.
About Black Hills Area Habitat for Humanity
A nonprofit Christian housing organization dedicated to creating a world where everyone has a decent place to live, Black Hills Area Habitat for Humanity (BHAHFH) brings together people with resources and people in need of a hand up to build and repair simple, decent, affordable homes. BHAHFH has served over 340 families locally and globally since 1990. BHAHFH ReStore helps raise funds through items donated and sold to serve additional families in the Black Hills area. Call 348-9196 for store and donation hours. For more information, visit www.blackhillshabitat.org or call 348-9196. Black Hills Area Habitat for Humanity is a United Way member agency.
About Habitat for Humanity International
Driven by the vision that everyone needs a decent place to live, Habitat for Humanity began in 1976 as a grassroots effort on a community farm in southern Georgia. The Christian housing organization has since grown to become a leading global nonprofit working in local communities across all 50 states in the U.S. and in more than 70 countries. Families and individuals in need of a hand-up partner with Habitat for Humanity to build or improve a place they can call home. Habitat homeowners help build their own homes alongside volunteers and pay an affordable mortgage. Through financial support, volunteering, or adding a voice to support affordable housing, everyone can help families achieve the strength, stability, and self-reliance they need to build better lives for themselves. Through shelter, we empower. To learn more, visit habitat.org.