Saturday, July 22, 2006

dedicated to buderfli, love dragonFLY

Congrats to my friend, Ginger, who today had her new house dedicated. This journey has been tedious and long but it's all worth it since you and My My are now on your way to creating a home of your own. Thanks for letting me be a part of it all. Wendy ~ so good to see you and the girls (little women)!

Habitat homeowner: 'It still hasn't sunk in'

by Robert PeRez
July 22, 2006

SANFORD -- Ginger Flack and her daughter began their new life Friday in a three-bedroom, two-bath home that sits directly under the path of incoming planes at Orlando Sanford International Airport.

They couldn't be happier.

The pair is moving into a 1,200-square-foot home completed in a 10-day building blitz by Habitat for Humanity of Seminole County and its partners -- Maronda Homes, Trustco Bank and Orangewood Presbyterian Church."This is going to give us a whole new way of life," Flack said. "We'll have our own home."

Amaya Flack was about a year old when her mother began putting in the first of 300 hours of volunteer work for the program. She will celebrate her fourth birthday next month in her own room.The 2 1/2 years of weekend volunteer work -- Habitat's required "sweat equity" -- seemed like no time at all, she said."It didn't seem like work," said Flack, a 29-year-old single mother. "Everybody is so wonderful, so grateful. They're happy to be there."

On Friday, it was Flack's turn to be on the receiving end."It still hasn't sunk in that this is mine," she said.Amaya was oblivious to Friday's ceremony, wandering in and out of the empty home as officials celebrated the completion of the house in record time."There was nothing but trenches for the footers out here 10 days ago," said Robert Kinney, Habitat president.

Flack's home was built a la Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, the popular ABC program that rehabs homes for worthy people in seven days. On average, volunteer crews spent 12 hours a day on Flack's house.A 20-year interest-free loan helped make the home affordable for Flack, a manager at United Trophy's Casselberry store.

In addition to donating $20,000 for home construction, Trustco Bank is providing home-ownership counseling to Flack.Central Florida's hot real-estate market has made it nearly impossible to find affordable land in safe neighborhoods to build, Kinney said. Habitat built two homes, including Flack's, on Palmetto Avenue.Flack is looking forward to her new community. She does not worry about the near-constant shriek of jets and putter of prop planes overhead. She is just grateful.

"At first I was worried because they come in so low, but now I like watching them come in," she said. "We'll get used to the noise. Pretty soon it's going to be background noise."


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