Granville County Habitat for Humanity and VGCC partner on new home
Granville County Habitat for Humanity will soon start construction on a new affordable home in Oxford, in partnership with the Carpentry program at Vance-Granville Community College. Officials from VGCC joined Habitat volunteers and community leaders at a groundbreaking ceremony on Oct. 21 at 305 Linden Avenue, the site that one day will house a local family.
During the ceremony, Granville County Habitat for Humanity board member Robert Williams thanked a fellow board member, VGCC Carpentry program head Keith Tunstall, for his leadership in arranging the partnership. In a first for the college, Carpentry students will build the house as part of their course work on weekdays, while local volunteers will work on the weekends. “Through our partnership, we will be providing practical learning experiences for students, while also providing a house for a family that desperately needs it,” Williams said.
VGCC Dean of Business and Applied Technologies Angela Gardner-Ragland thanked Habitat for working on this innovative collaboration. “We look forward to a long-term partnership with Habitat for Humanity, which will teach our students what community service is truly all about,” Gardner-Ragland said.
“At VGCC, our mission is to educate, inspire and support, and I can’t think of anything more inspirational for our students than working with Habitat for Humanity to help a family in need,” added Wesley Williams, the college’s Applied Technologies department chair.
According to Granville County Habitat for Humanity Executive Director Richard Seekins, the new construction project also owes thanks to Ruby Powell Greene of Raleigh, who donated the property on which the home will be built. In addition, Seekins recognized Lowe’s Home Improvement of Henderson for supporting the project.
Habitat for Humanity is a non-profit, ecumenical Christian ministry founded on the conviction that every man, woman and child should have a decent, safe and affordable place to live. The Granville County organization is one of more than 1,500 local affiliates in the United States. Habitat has helped to build or repair more than 800,000 houses and served more than four million people worldwide. Seekins said that an estimated 1.6 billion people around the world lack adequate housing, and as the population of Granville County increases, the need is growing locally. “We are building more than houses here in Granville County,” Seekins said. “We’re building hope.”
Granville County Habitat board treasurer Gloria Boone said that the organization is still in the process of approving the family who will partner with them and one day take occupancy of their new home.
According to board member Bonn Williams, the 1,102-square-foot house will contain three bedrooms and two bathrooms, and a storage building will be included on the property. Construction will begin soon after all necessary permits have been obtained.
For more information on volunteering with Granville County Habitat for Humanity, call Richard Seekins at (919) 693-5694.
For more information on VGCC’s Carpentry program , call Keith Tunstall at (252) 738-3261 or (252) 213-1266.
Above: Taking part in the ceremonial groundbreaking of the new Habitat for Humanity project were, from left, Granville County Habitat for Humanity board members Robert Williams and Bonn Williams, volunteer and Granville County Habitat co-founder Robert Wainwight (in back), Ruby Greene of Raleigh, Oxford Mayor Pro Tem Howard Herring, Granville County Board of Commissioners Chairman David Smith, VGCC Carpentry program head Keith Tunstall, board member Gloria Boone, Lowe’s assistant store manager Richard Price, and board chair Cheryl Hart. (VGCC photo)
