Where the Heart Is
When a family achieves home ownership, they gain more than a physical structure. Owning a home can provide a sense of belonging, pride, stability, and a sense of permanence that makes families feel part of the community.
Having a home helps children feel rooted as they grow—knowing they will attend the same school and return to the same place
at the end of each day. It helps to develop qualities like personal responsibility and self-confidence as they participate in caring for their family’s space.
Habitat for Humanity of Greater Centre County, celebrating its 40th year, makes the dream of home ownership a reality, thanks to a unique collaboration among donors, volunteers, and homebuyers. The organization has a dedicated organizational endowment at Centre Foundation— Habitat for Humanity of Greater Centre County Fund – which has been a critical annual source of funding since 2004, along with generous donor support during Centre Gives.
“To appreciate the impact of the program, it’s important to see the full picture,” said Executive Director Stephanie Fost. “Donors lay the foundation. From there, Habitat for Humanity doesn’t simply build a house for a family who can’t afford to buy one.” The process itself, in fact, is far more meaningful.
“Our homebuyers commit a minimum of 350 volunteer hours to work with our volunteer team and staff on their home and in the ReStore,” Stephanie said. “They work alongside our construction team, investing their time and energy into their future home.” Not all homes are built from scratch; some are existing properties that are purchased and renovated.
Many homeowners put in these hours in addition to full-time jobs and caring for their children. “Our homebuyers are active members of our community—they work in our local schools, at the university, and at local businesses. Their family circumstances combined with the local housing market have made purchasing a home through traditional means too difficult. They’ve simply come into home ownership on a different path.”
According to Stephanie, many homebuyers are single parents. One recent homebuyer is a single mom who was sleeping on the couch in a rental unit that she shared with her young children and her sister who is disabled. Now, for the first time in three years, she has a bedroom. Because all homes built through the program are designed for residents to age in place, it is ADA accessible—with wide hallways and a large bathroom—allowing the homebuyer to continue to care for her sister.
Stephanie sees the impact of home ownership every time she drives by the home of the first homebuyer she worked with when she began her role at Habitat for Humanity. “The home was for a family of seven that had been living in a 3-bedroom apartment. Now, their yard has a playset, a garden, and a chicken coop… it’s truly become a home.”
With funds received by Centre County from the American Rescue Plan, combined with a Field-of-Interest grant funded by the Ed & Charlene Friedman Family Fund, Habitat for Humanity is also helping homeowners tackle critical repairs.
The Habitat team is assessing 60+ homes across the county with issues ranging from wiring, plumbing, and sewer issues to leaky roofs, unsafe structures, and lack of accessibility for individuals with disabilities.
Many applications for the repairs program are from seniors and individuals with disabilities. Fortunately, as part of the site visit, the Habitat team can help refer individuals to other organizations to determine if they qualify for additional services.
“It’s been a good way to look at the bigger picture facing many people across the county,” she said.
The ReStore, another program of Habitat for Humanity, is located in Bellefonte and is celebrating its 15th year. During its last fiscal year, the ReStore helped to keep 250 tons of items from landfills by selling donated new and used home improvement items and materials at discounted prices. Profits go back to its mission of providing quality homes to working deserving local families.
The ReStore welcomes thousands of customers every month and boasts a volunteer crew that donates nearly 8,000 hours per year.
“Despite what people are used to seeing in photos, to help someone in your community through Habitat for Humanity, you don’t have to swing a hammer,” Stephanie said.
