Habitat For Humanity Of Cleveland Holds 2-Home Dedication Honoring The Ashe & Fyffe Families

  • Tuesday, July 6, 2021

Habitat for Humanity of Cleveland will hold a Home Dedication Ceremony on Tuesday, July 13 to honor new Habitat homeowners, William & Rebekah Ashe and Merilee Fyffe. This two-family townhome marks the 145th and 146th homes built in Bradley County. The ceremony will begin at 11 a.m. at 1205/1207 Franitza Way SW in Cleveland. It will also be shown live on Habitat’s Facebook page (/ClevelandHabitat).

About the homeowners:

William Ashe is legally blind. He relies on the eyes and kindness of others to navigate daily life. Rebekah came into his life when she was assigned to help William shop at Walmart. William enjoyed her company and began asking for her assistance during his shopping trips. They became friends, and eventually married a couple of years ago. They currently live in an apartment with stairs which are dangerous for William, given his limited vision. A single level affordable home represents not just safety, but lower housing costs and peace of mind for the couple. “A one level house is what we need the most, and with Habitat's help, we will have exactly what we need,” said Rebekah.

Merilee Fyffe has struggled to secure stable housing since her husband left her and their two daughters a decade ago. She had a job, but it did not meet the family’s needs. Financial pressures mounted resulting in the family being evicted from their home. For several years, the family was forced to move often, relying on the generosity of multiple friends and family for shelter. Encouraged by her daughter and fellow Habitat homeowner, Ms. Fyffe applied to the program and was accepted after an eight month wait. She’s excited to own a home and grateful to Habitat for providing her with the opportunity. “I cannot even come up with the words to tell them thank you for taking the time to look at my file…I’m sure they could have passed me by. This opportunity, a chance of a lifetime, I will not take lightly,” said Ms. Fyffe.

Faith Build Sponsors (Ashe home): Andy and Laura Anderson, Bowman Hills Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Broad Street United Methodist Church, Community Foundation of Cleveland and Bradley County, Eaton Corporation, Farmland Community Church, Father Mike Nolan, First Baptist Cleveland, First Presbyterian Church, Jack and Vicky Byrd, Jacinto’s Auto Sales LLC, Keith Street Ministries, Knights of Columbus, McReynolds Family Foundation, Mt. Olive Church of God, Nick and Mara Grisham, North Cleveland COG, Phil and Yaunna Higgins, Professional Title Services, Pyramid Construction, Rebecca Jabaley, The Chapel, Verrill Norwood and Westwood Baptist Church.

Legacy Build Sponsors (Fyffe home): Bank of Cleveland, Barry Boettner, Carolyn Ingram-Franitza, Chandler Properties, Cleveland/Bradley Chamber Youth Leadership, Community Foundation of Cleveland and Bradley County, Corey Divel, David and Ellen Smith, Don Rollens Legacy Fund, Doug Berry, Fitzgerald Family Foundation, George R. Johnson Foundation/Hardees, Habitat for Humanity International, Jeff and Kathy Morelock, Julian Sullivan and Publix Super Markets Charities.

For any questions regarding the Home Dedication Ceremony, contact Meta McGuire at 423-476-6947, ext. 312, mmcguire@habitatofcleveland.org.

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