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By C.S. DOTY, Kansan Contributor

Not everyone would listen to a three year old who says a magic letter just came through the door, but fortunately for Jeri Womack and her family, she did. 

Womack says that she and her husband had been praying that they could provide their two sons with a home of their own, and that the letter her son brought her was nothing short of an answer to those prayers.

The magic letter was from Habitat for Humanity, the internationally known organization that builds new homes for low income families and individuals.  They had notified residents of a Kansas City, Kansas neighborhood that they were looking for applicants for a new home building project in their area. 

Womack didn’t know if she would qualify, but decided to take a chance and call.  A few short months later, Womack is on the way to home ownership after partnering with Heartland Habitat for Humanity, the Kansas City, Kansas affiliate office who is leading the construction of the Womack home.

The contribution of the Womack family has been and will continue to be substantial. 

In addition to the lengthy application process with income and employment requirements, the family must provide 300 hours of hands-on volunteer service to their home and the organization, as well as 50 hours of education including courses on home repair and budgeting to prepare them for the end of the process when they purchase the home from Habitat for Humanity at 0% interest.

“Providing well built, decent, affordable housing for people in need is what it’s all about” says Kate Fields, Director of Resource Development for Heartland Habitat for Humanity. 

And Womack says that is all she and her family want. 

A place of stability, a place to call their own, and a way to show their children that dreams do come true.  Fields says that working to transform neighborhoods and improve the lives of those living in the neighborhoods in this way is impossible without the cooperation of neighborhood and without the assistance of volunteers.

Each home the organization builds is approximately 1300 square feet with three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a one car garage and a partially finished basement. 

Fields says that the organization is conscious of the resources they use and over the years have significantly reduced the waste generated on the job site, and are proud that their finished homes are all Energy Star rated. 

That rating comes in part from the help of a nation-wide partnership with Whirlpool who provides every home Habitat for Humanity builds in the United States with a free Energy Star rated refrigerator and oven.

To learn more about Heartland Habitat for Humanity please visit their website at http://www.heartlandhabitat.org/

PHOTO #1 – Volunteers work together to cut and install baseboard trim.

PHOTO #2 – Home owners are given numerous choices when their house is being constructed including details such as the cabinet stain color in the kitchen.

PHOTO #3 – Habitat strives to build multiple new homes on the same streets.