To most passing by the property on Old Marlton Pike they will see a house.
But thanks to Habitat for Humanity, Charlotte Miller will call it home.
Miller started working on the house last October.
“We lived in an apartment for 12 years and never thought we’d have a house,” she said. A single mom, Miller has one teenage daughter.
Miller said a friend who works at the Christian Care Center got her the application for Habitat for Humanity.
“I think it’s an awesome program,” she said, noting she logged 400 sweat equity hours.
Miller said she thinks the word about Habitat for Humanity should reach more people.
“There are a lot of people who could probably benefit” from the program, she said.
Miller said gardening in the back yard is what she is most looking forward to.
Rep. Jon Runyan (R-NJ,3), who worked on the property with campaign interns last year, is a big fan of the program.
“It’s an awesome chance to really help some people,” Runyan said, noting the Millers have “skin in the game” by putting in volunteer hours.
Habitat for Humanity Public Relation and Procurement Coordinator Caitlin Watterson said the welcome home event puts everything into perspective.
“This is the reason we do it all,” Watterson said. “To see the finished product and welcome a family into their home.”
With Habitat for Humanity for two years, this was Watterson’s second dedication ceremony.
“This is why I come to work,” she said.
The rehabilitated house is one of two properties donated by Whitesell; the neighboring property was dedicated to a family of five in March 2010.
“Charlotte Miller worked extremely hard to complete her sweat equity hours,” Amanda Capasso of AmeriCorps VISTA of Family Services said. “She was determined to achieve her goal of becoming a homeowner, and with help from the Habitat Affordable Homeownership Program, her dream is now a reality.”
The mission of the Burlington County, N.J. affiliate of Habitat for Humanity is to eliminate substandard and overcrowded housing in Burlington County through affordable home ownership.
It is an affiliate of the international ecumenical Christian housing ministry, open to assist all those in need of its services. It is able to help create affordable housing for low or moderate income families by utilizing volunteers and donated materials. Qualified partner families receive a zero-percent interest mortgage rate upon the completion of 500 “sweat equity” hours.
It seeks to eliminate poverty housing and homelessness from the world and to make decent shelter a matter of conscience and action.
To accomplish these goals, it invites people of all backgrounds, races and religions to build houses together in partnership with families in need.
Habitat for Humanity was founded in 1976 by Millard Fuller, along with his wife, Linda.
Today, it has helped build more than 400,000 decent, affordable houses and served more than 2 million people around the world.
