Habitat celebrates finish of new house

Virginia Griffin thanked Lutheran church volunteers and the Staunton-Augusta-Waynesboro Habitat for Humanity at Sunday’s dedication of her family’s new home at 760 Commerce Ave.

“Nails and boards build a house,” Griffin said at the dedication of the local Habitat’s 47th house in the area. “But all volunteers put a touch of love in our hearts and we will be forever grateful.”

Griffin said her upcoming move into the three-bedroom house with her daughter and granddaughter is the fulfillment of a lifelong dream. “Habitat gave us the opportunity,” she said.

The small plot of Waynesboro land was donated by the Harner family and once served as the location for a grocery store and a laundromat. John Harner said the land had been in his family for 70 years.

Since June, more than 300 volunteers, predominantly Lutheran church members, logged in excess of 2,000 hours to build the three-bedroom house.

Rhonda Howdyshell, the executive director of the Staunton-Augusta-Waynesboro Habitat for Humanity, said 65 percent of the funding for the home was provided by Thrivent Financial, a faith-based, nonprofit financing group.

A quarter of the financing came from Habitat and 10 percent from local churches.

Howdyshell said the construction started in June, and said Griffin and her family could move into the home in the next several days once a certificate of occupancy is granted.

The recipients of Habitat homes must meet certain economic criteria and contribute sweat equity, Howdyshell said.

The Griffin family will repay a zero percent mortgage over the next 20 to 30 years.

Howdyshell said Habitat has been constructing homes in the area since 1993.