Until yesterday, Camille Fletcher lived in a cramped apartment in Raleigh with her three kids and her mom. There weren’t enough bedrooms for them all – her mom shared a bunk bed with one of the kids – but the rent was too high to afford something larger.
But Tuesday marked a new chapter for Camille and her family, as they celebrated the dedication of their new home. The new house has enough bedrooms for them all, is energy-efficient, and has a lower mortgage than her previous rent.
For the last two years, since she happened to see an ad on the back of a truck for Habitat for Humanity, Camille has been working to fulfill the requirements of the Habitat program. After a period on the waiting list, she has taken classes to learn home maintenance, finance, and other aspects of homeownership.
“It was exciting to learn all of these new skills and meet new people,” says Camille, a Food and Nutrition Associate at Duke Raleigh Hospital.
Camille also had to put in at least 200 hours of “sweat equity” to help build the house. She wasn’t alone the last few months; her colleagues at Duke Raleigh Hospital pitched in and donated nearly 50 volunteer hours to help build her house. Duke Raleigh Hospital is proud to have partners like Habitat for Humanity of Wake County, who share our common goal of building healthy communities.
Volunteers are a big part of what makes Habitat for Humanity so successful, says Melanie Rankin, Development Director for Habitat for Humanity of Wake County. “One of the reasons our homes are so affordable is because they’re primarily built by our volunteers,” she says.
“What better way to demonstrate our commitment to one another than to actually help lay a foundation for a team member?” says Neal Seigler, Director of Environmental and Nutritional Services at Duke Raleigh Hospital. “Working with team members away from the job builds a connection that cannot be established in a controlled environment. I enjoyed this team building endeavor, and teaming up with my employees to support one of our own.”
Camille’s children have also been helping where they can. Her oldest daughter and mom have been helping build the house, and her younger children have been taking weekend DIY classes at Home Depot, making a flower pot and spice rack for the new house.
“It’s the American dream,” Camille says. “It’s a new beginning for my family, and now I can provide them with more stability and a better way of living.”
For more information about Habitat for Humanity of Wake County, visit http://www.habitatwake.org.
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