Rebecca Bohlander, homeowner; Art Weekes, construction site supervisor, and the Bohlander children at the May home dedication.
Rebecca Bohlander needed a home for her family. Raising two children, one diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, Rebecca applied to Holston Habitat for Humanity with hopes of building an affordable, accessible home.
Now, Bohlander’s investment of time, energy and 400-plus hours of sweat equity has paid off. On May 28, Bohlander’s Habitat for Humanity house in Johnson City was dedicated, and she and her children received the keys to their new home.
“Building Rebecca’s home was a Community of Faith Build, a new model for Holston Habitat for Humanity,” says Art Pearce, executive director. “Over 150 volunteers from eight churches, the ETSU Wesley Foundation and other ETSU groups, YP-Tri, the Habitat Care-a-Vanners, and several businesses gave their time to build this home.”
Working side-by-side with Rebecca and directed by construction site supervisor Art Weekes, these volunteers devoted more than 3,200 volunteer hours to move rock, hammer, saw, paint, install siding, floors, cabinets, insulation, and decking so this single mother could buy an affordable home for her family.
Bohlander affirmed her family’s appreciation for all this work: “My children and I are so thankful for this house. One goal was for my son to still be able to walk into our new home, and he did! Thanks to Art Weekes and all the volunteers.”
Steve Clark, Holston Habitat’s construction manager, also thanked the Johnson City and Jonesborough communities for their work on this project.
“Holston Habitat builds only with the support of the work of our volunteers. We’re inviting more folks in Johnson City to apply to build a Habitat home so we can keep our volunteers busy.” Each Holston Habitat for Humanity home is sold to the approved homebuyer through a no interest loan, because Habitat for Humanity knows that everyone deserves a decent place to live.
Holston Habitat for Humanity serves families and individuals in Carter, Sullivan and Washington Counties, Tennessee, and Bristol, Virginia. Since 1985, Holston Habitat has helped 269 families achieve first-time homeownership, home repairs, and access to affordable home improvement products at the Habitat ReStore.
For more information on homeownership, or to volunteer or donate, visit HolstonHabitat.org or call (423) 239-7689.
