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Habitat Offers Keys To A New Life For 3 Families

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By MEGAN HUSSEY

Tribune correspondent

Published: June 21, 2008

DADE CITY - When Paxton Zachary Steier, 4, saw his new home for the first time at an East Pasco Habitat for Humanity home-dedication ceremony, he ran to sit at the center of the front porch and play, somehow knowing that he was at home.

Paxton and his mom, Jolyn, were one of three families honored at East Pasco Habitat's dedication June 7, joining Vanessa Hicks and her three children, and Marsha Reaves and her two daughters to claim three Habitat homes on North Street in Dade City.

The houses mark the 53rd, 54th and 55th Habitat residences constructed in east Pasco, and were three of eight homes planned for North Avenue.

"We're building 15 homes this year. This is our biggest year in Pasco County," said Dave Tully, past chairman of the Habitat board of directors. "We're very happy about it and want to build more homes."

The houses went to deserving families, according to a Habitat news release.

Hicks and her children, Troy, 16, Warren, 10, and Nashaw, 7, were accepted into the Habitat program last summer; she started her "sweat equity" hours (volunteer hours that Habitat homeowners are required to complete as part of their home-ownership agreement) soon after. Her co-workers at the Sweetbay Supermarket in Dade City supported her by working on her house and attending the dedication.

"It didn't take long for Habitat to build this house," she said at the ceremony, "and it feels good to get this home."

Like the Hicks family, Marsha Reaves and her daughters, Kristin, 15, and Kaitlin, 11, moved into their new house immediately after the dedication. Reaves is an employee of Barfield Insurance and expressed her gratitude to Tim Barfield for giving her flexible working hours, enabling her to perform the sweat-equity hours required to acquire her Habitat home.

"I'm very excited and so happy to get this home," she said at the dedication. "The feeling is indescribable."

Similar sentiments were expressed by Steier, who happily led son Paxton on a tour of their new house.

Steier, who said she was homeless for a time, expressed great joy at the ceremony.

"I can't tell you what you all have done for me," she told the Habitat officials and volunteers gathered for the dedication. "I was homeless, and this is the most incredible thing that has happened."

All three families received a Bible and a basket of symbolic gifts from city Commissioner Camille Hernandez, East Pasco Habitat board member and family mentor, and Mary Eversmann, volunteer chairwoman of family support at East Pasco Habitat; and a food basket and grocery gift certificate from Laura Morrison on behalf of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Benedictions were delivered by Lowell Harris, Habitat board; Jeff Smiley, Hicks' uncle; and Caroline Reaves, Marsha Reaves' mother. Family mentors in attendance were Hernandez, JoAnne Cotter and Natalie Sotomayor.

Habitat house keys were presented to the families by Hernandez, John J. Finnerty III, chief executive and president of East Pasco Habitat, and Pasco County Commissioner Jack Mariano.

At the city and county level, "we want to help Habitat get better and better," Mariano said. "God has blessed us all for being here. This will energize us all."

Kristin Reaves, Marsha Reaves' daughter, agreed.

"We have a place to call home," she said with a smile.

NEW HOMES

SOME BACKGROUND: On June 7, East Pasco Habitat for Humanity dedicated three houses in Dade City.

The three families who received them were Vanessa Hicks and her three children; Marsha Reaves and her two daughters; and Jolyn Steier and her son.

COMMUNITY CONTRIBUTIONS: East Pasco Habitat for Humanity, according to www.ephabitat.org, "is a nonprofit, ecumenical Christian housing ministry affiliated with Habitat for Humanity International" and "dedicated to eliminating poverty housing and homelessness in east Pasco County."

A LITTLE HISTORY: The organization has built 55 homes since 1994.

WHAT'S NEXT?: Habitat expects to build and dedicate 15 houses this year. The organization credits the aid of Pasco Community Development "for being able to step up their building program and provide the opportunity for many more families to become homeowners in east Pasco County," a news release stated.

GET INVOLVED: For information, call (352) 567-1444 or go to www.ephabitat.org.

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