(Marietta Daily Journal, Sunday, 20 November 2016)
By Jon Gargis, jgargis@mdjonline.com
Volunteers and officials from six Cobb area Roman Catholic churches and the NW Metro Atlanta Habitat for Humanity were on hand in Mableton on Saturday as two new homes were dedicated and presented to the two women who will soon move into them.
“As I stand between these two women who come to us through different methods, the common denominator is their faith, their faith in God, their faith that there is always something better, that God has something better planned for them, and it is their faith that has brought us here together today,” said J.J. Currie, vice president of Family and Homeowner Services for NW Metro Atlanta Habitat for Humanity.
One of the two new homeowners, described as a “staunch Catholic” originally from Ghana, works in a medical lab in Cobb and hopes to become an RN. “I’m really excited,” she said after Saturday’s dedication. She declined to be named for this article. “I thank the living God for what He has done for me.”
Soon to become her new neighbor is Maurica Black, a Cobb County school bus driver and a mother of three, who said she was surprised how quickly the home came together. “I was nervous in the beginning when I first got here and saw those slabs, I was like ‘Oh my goodness,’” she said. But what started as a mere slab eventually became walls and a roof and, over the course of nine Saturdays, a complete home through the efforts of numerous volunteers.
But the homes were also the efforts of their new owners, who had to invest hundreds of hours into constructing them, as well as putting work into other Habitat homes.
“I am so ecstatic,” Black said. “I am so blessed, I feel blessed, everything feels like it’s falling in place. It’s wonderful the people who came together, the love.”
The love shown by the churches didn’t stop with just the building of the two new homes. Representatives of the churches presented the two homeowners with several gifts, from the ceremonial golden hammers to new Bibles, gift cards to Home Depot and more.
The dedication concluded with Catholic Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory blessing the two houses.
“It’s a wonderful Saturday, and it’s a wonderful event to bring together so many fine people who have participated in the preparation of these two houses so two families will have a place to call home,” Gregory said. “Every time they open the doors of their new homes, I hope they remember the wonderful neighbors that they have, the very fine people who shared in the Habitat for Humanity project.”
The homes were the 38th and 39th to be built by the Catholic Coalition, a group of six Cobb-area parishes — St. Ann (Marietta), Holy Family (Marietta), Transfiguration (Marietta), St. Joseph (Marietta), St. Catherine of Siena (Kennesaw) and St. Clare of Assisi (Woodstock). The group is now in its 24th year of working with NW Metro Atlanta Habitat for Humanity.
Mike Christian, chair of the Catholic Coalition, said the organization has contributed $1.7 million to Habitat and put in more than 100,000 volunteer hours.
“There’s a lot of pride, a lot of history, and all of you should be very happy with you’ve done. But we’re not done yet — this is just a beginning,” Christian said before presenting to Habitat officials a letter of intent to commit to two more houses next year as well as a check for $50,000.
The two homes are the last to be dedicated by NW Metro Atlanta Habitat this year, and the sixth and seventh to be built on Lee Road. In all, the organization has built a total of 14 new houses this year and two rehabilitated houses, for a total of 16, said Andrew Tatnall, vice president of Development for NW Metro Atlanta Habitat, who says the organization’s goal is to build 17 new homes and four rehabilitated homes next year. The Habitat affiliate has built more than 400 homes in the community since it was founded 30 years ago.
“We were glad we could build 16 in 2016, and we want to make it 17 new homes in 2017,” Tatnall said. “With the generosity of the Catholic Coalition today, we’re well on our way to a great start.”
“I am so ecstatic. I am so blessed, I feel blessed, everything feels like it’s falling in place. It’s wonderful the people who came together, the love.” — Maurica Black, Habitat home recipient