One of HabitatSHR values is to build communities and partnerships. Often times we build or rehab a single home in a neighborhood, which creates a positive impact on that neighborhood when the neighbors see the effort and the hard work of our volunteers that goes into making a home for their new neighbor. This past year, however, HabitatSHR completed a neighborhood of nine homes on Lake Kennedy Drive in Suffolk, when the last home buyer, Lori and her daughter, Kiana moved in on Christmas Eve 2018.
By the time Lori and Kiana had moved in, several of their Habitat neighbors had already formed friendships and bonds of helping one another. Lori and Kiana were welcomed warmly and included in the bond.
Our Lake Kennedy Project was clearly a success, existing neighbors, like the Cole family who have lived in the community for generations, welcomed their new neighbors and made them feel right at home--but what we likely didn’t expect was how close a bond many of our Lake Kennedy homeowners would have with one another. HabitatSHR learned recently that Lori and Kiana's neighbors have gone above and beyond just being neighborly--they took a joint vacation to the Bahamas! They enjoyed tours of the island and time spent on the beach.
Because of their affordable mortgages, the lives of many of our Lake Kennedy home owners vastly improved, making the dream of not just homeownership possible, but the dream of a vacation with friends...a true reality.
Just imagine, this was all brought together by the building of nine homes, on one street, by one organization whose vision is to create a world where everyone has a decent place to live, and bond with the neighbors...