Hearts and Hunt for Humanity

The family named Love had very big hearts. When tragedy befell Kenny and Sandra Love in 2017, they sought and received custody of their young grandchildren. The Loves lived in a modest home in Brunswick until a kitchen fire changed their lives, necessitating a move into a small, substandard, overcrowded apartment five days before Christmas. They were desperate.

The staff at Communities in Schools at Goodyear Elementary, where one of the grandchildren attends school, recommended that the family apply for a home through Habitat for Humanity of Glynn County (HFHGC). In the New Year, the Loves began the journey to a safe, decent and affordable home for their extended family, as they became the 87th family to qualify for an HFHGC home. “I don’t know how to thank the Habitat community of supporters and volunteers,” says Sandra Love, now struggling with cancer. “We couldn’t be more excited about every detail of our new place, and Lord knows we are grateful. Home means everything to us and our grandkids.” Her husband Kenny happily contributes sweat equity at every build, and plans to continue to donate his carpentry skills to future Habitat projects even after his family takes ownership of their MLK Blvd home. “Our partnership with Habitat has been life-changing for us,” states Kenny.  

Millard Fuller, who founded Habitat for Humanity International on Koinonia Farm outside of Americus, GA, in 1976, would approve. “Everyone who gets sleepy at night should have a simple, decent place to lay their heads, on terms they can afford to pay,” Fuller frequently opined, and, with his wife, Linda, dedicated his life to building safe, decent and affordable homes for low-income households who have no other hope for home ownership. It was when Ben Slade III, then president of First Federal Savings and Loan, saw a TV segment on former President Jimmy Carter’s Habitat projects that the wheels started in motion for the Glynn County affiliate. 

Slade was intrigued by the program. “First Federal was a primary mortgage lender,” he noted in an interview, “and I saw firsthand the need that some low-income families had. Over the years, I had seen people who wanted to get better housing but just couldn’t afford a conventional bank loan, and I thought this would be an ideal way to help them.” Thus, he founded affiliate Habitat for Humanity of Glynn County in 1989 and enlisted an eight-member board of trustees (Tom Dennard, Bill Stewart, Robert Long, Ann Dempsey, Roosevelt Harris, LaRon Bennett, Johnny Patelidas, and Charlie Thrower) plus executive director Gordon Davis, to help answer the call. Slade served as HFHGC’s chairman for eight years.  

The organization celebrates its 30th anniversary this year with a Hunt Ball at The Boathouse at Frederica Golf Club. This inaugural fall fundraiser supports HFHGC’s mission of helping others in their hunt for a home and also celebrates the Southern hunt – Fish, fowl and game. Held on Sunday, October 6th, from 5:00-9:00 p.m., the event will feature wildlife artists and artisans, live demonstrations with owls, hawks and hounds, exhibitions of antique and European firearms, vintage hunting vehicles, and a live auction of exceptional hunting and fishing experiences. Guests will enjoy classic Southern cuisine paired with bourbon tastings, an open bar, and live music by Mason Waters & the Groove Allstars. And despite the Hunt Ball title, there will be no ballgowns here; dress for the casual event is jeans or stylish sporting attire.

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Art at the Auction

Laura Angela Photography

Art at the Auction

Artist Jennifer Broadus puts finishing touches on her oil painting of the Frederica boathouse that will be auctioned at the event.

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The Hunt on Display

Laura Angela Photography

The Hunt on Display

Kurt and Lori Watson with a 1973 International Harvester, one of several vintage hunting vehicles that will be on display at the ball.

At print date, Sponsors for the Hunt Ball include: Ashley’s Business Solutions, Elegant Island Living, Frederica Golf Club, Georgia Pacific Brunswick Cellulose, Laura Angela Photography, Sea Island, Synovus,  and United Community Bank. Participating vendors include: Brackish Ties, Dorchester Hunting Preserve, Emily McCarthy, Jennifer Broadus Fine Art, Kevin’s Guns and Fine Apparel, Lisa Zipperer Designs, Mossy Pond Retrievers, Norton and Hodges, On the Fly Outfitters, Over Under, Plantation Gallery - David Lanier Fine Art, Sea Island Forge. 

HFHGC has come a long way since October 30, 1989, when it broke ground for its first home on a donated lot at the corner of Gordon and Fourth Streets in Brunswick. First-time homeowners Jimmy and Kathleen Wilson, and their four children, moved into their three-bedroom, one-bath home on April 7, 1990. Currently, HFHGC is working on plans for its 100th home.  

Like today’s Habitat homeowners, the Wilsons met the organization’s eligibility requirements. Applicants must have at least one year of legal residency in Glynn County, pass a criminal background and credit check, and currently reside in overcrowded, unsafe, or substandard shelter. They must demonstrate that they are unable to acquire a conventional home mortgage and that they have a steady income sufficient to meet household expenses plus a monthly mortgage obligation. They must also be willing to contribute 200 sweat equity hours per household adult during the build, to take ten hours of personal financial management classes, and commit to maintaining their Habitat house in an appropriate manner. 

These eligibility requirements come as a surprise to many people. HFHGC President & CEO Bert Brown sets the record straight: “We offer a path to home ownership – a hand up, not a hand out. Habitat’s mission statement expresses the organization’s aim to transition families from substandard, overcrowded, or unsafe residences to safe, decent, affordable homes. Habitat homeowners make a minimal deposit and interest-free, affordable monthly mortgage payments, in addition to their sweat equity construction investments. The Habitat-financed homes are sold to our partner families at no profit, and the mortgage payments return to Habitat’s capital pool used to build future homes. It’s a proven model that works!”

Board chairman Mason Waters notes that the typical HFHGC home is a simple, three-bedroom/two-bath residence of about 1200 square feet. Its cost to the homeowner averages between $70,000 and $85,000, for an approximate $450/month payment that includes property taxes and insurance. Homes are built by a family/volunteer partnership that is like no other.

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Century Place Plans Unveiled

Laura Angela Photography

Century Place Plans Unveiled

Members of Habitat For Humanity of Glynn County's board of directors unveil the Century Place project: Bert Brown, President & CEO; Nancy Kaufman, Vice Chairwoman; Harlan Hambright; Lisa Jones, Secretary; Mason Waters, Chairman, Coco Bujold, Ted Davis, Treasurer; Nancy Gandersman.

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Women at Work

Laura Angela Photography

Women at Work

Elaine Griffin, The Hunt Ball Chair; Becca Randall, Habitat For Humanity of Glynn, Director of Community Relations; and Nancy Kaufman, Vice Chairwoman of HFHGC Board of Directors

“It is particularly gratifying that HFHGC’s overhead is financed 100% by our highly-successful retail ReStore,” explains Waters. Located in Lanier Plaza in Brunswick, the ReStore accepts donations of gently-used furniture, home furnishings and construction products and sells them to Habitat families and the general public at deep discounts. “If you live anywhere in Glynn County, please know that if you call the Habitat ReStore, we will happily schedule a pickup,” Waters says. “You don’t have to worry about getting your donation to us – our truck will be on its way!” 

Continuing its milestone 2019, Habitat for Humanity of Glynn County is honored to announce Century Place, a new Habitat-built urban neighborhood. Century Place will be a neighborhood of approximately 15 homes, including HFHGC’s 100th home. The one-of-a-kind community is ideally located near schools, the Boys & Girls Club, Southeast Georgia Regional Health System, and the College of Coastal Georgia. “Century Place is a dream come true,” enthuses Bert Brown. “Research shows that children who grow up in secure and stable homes do better academically, have higher graduation rates, and most importantly, go on to be citizens that contribute to society, raising families that do the same. So a Habitat home impacts not just the generation that lives in it, but subsequent generations. Affordable home ownership changes lives in ways that little else does today.” He continues, “We look forward to Century Place having a positive impact on our community for not only this, but also future generations. It is the project of our lifetimes, and I want to invite all residents of Coastal Georgia to contribute their time and/or resources to help make Century Place the tremendous success it can be.” By attending the Hunt Ball, you are supporting this project and the mission of HFHGC. 

Tickets to the October 6 Hunt Ball at the Frederica Boathouse are $150 per person and can be purchased online at eventbrite.com. For more information about the event or Habitat for Humanity of Glynn County, please contact Nancy Kaufman at 216.410.1450 or nancywkaufman@mac.com or Becca Randall at 912.222.7353 or brandall@habitatglynncounty.org.