Habitat for Humanity of Greater Chattanooga will celebrate the dedication of their 300th home this Thursday for future homeowner Tangela Walker and her family.
Habitat for Humanity’s dedication ceremonies commemorate a family completing the process of homeownership. It is a celebration that marks the completion of sweat equity hours and educational efforts in order to buy the homes, as well as an opportunity for all volunteers and sponsors who worked on or contributed toward the homes to view the finished results.
For Ms.
Walker, 2021 was a tumultuous year full of hardship that felt like a “rushing storm.” Ms. Walker's sister passed away unexpectedly, her brother had a stroke and her marriage came to a sudden end, all in the span of a few months. After many tears and prayer, she felt it was time for a change. With encouragement from her three kids, grandkids and her mother, Ms. Walker applied for Habitat’s housing program in 2022 and was officially accepted in January 2023.
Since then, Ms. Walker worked to complete her sweat equity hours in record time, leaving her job as a night shift worker at a local manufacturing plant and going straight to build sites to work on other’s homes and her own home many times.
“Over these last few years, I felt like I was living through a storm. But finally, my storm has come to a calm," Ms. Walker said. “I am living the Habitat mission: better homes, better community and a better world. It feels like a fairytale for me.”
Habitat President and CEO Jens Christensen said, “This home marks a new beginning for Tangela. It also gives us a moment to pause and look back at the impact that Habitat has had on Chattanooga and the 300 families whose lives have been changed through homeownership.”
The home was built with the support of Publix Super Markets Charities, a partner of Chattanooga’s Habitat for the last nine years. “Publix Super Markets Charities is proud to work with Habitat for Humanity of Greater Chattanooga Area and support its mission of making home ownership affordable to the growing number of qualified Habitat for Humanity families,” said John Doran, executive director, Publix Super Markets Charities. “Owning a home often represents stability and independence in one’s life, and we’re honored to be able to help make that a reality for people in our communities.”
Habitat’s 300th home is the first of two Publix sponsored homes in the same neighborhood. The second Publix sponsored home will be built right beside Ms. Walker's and construction will begin soon after she closes on her home.
To learn more about Habitat for Humanity of Greater Chattanooga, visit: www.HabiChatt.org.