By Evan Anderson, News 9
YUKON, Okla. -- Central Oklahoma's Habitat for Humanity is celebrating 25 years of
helping Oklahomans get into a house of their own.
So far, nearly 900 families now have a place to call home
Habitat for Humanity has
helped to develop neighborhoods all across central Oklahoma. For over two
decades, those who are responsible and hardworking have been able to move into
a brand new home, most say never would have happened without the help from
Habitat.
Future homeowner Lisa
Sumner, with the help of more than 75 volunteers, helped build a home in Yukon
she says she never dreamed she would own.
"Habitat just crossed
my mind one day, I don't even know why," said Sumner. "And I'm like, I'm going
to call and ask if they build in Yukon."
Sumner says it has taken a
while for her to get to this point; now a single mom with two young boys, one
three and the other five years old.
"I have owned a home
and went through a divorce, and so, like I said, homeownership is just
something I would not have been able to do on my own," said Sumner.
Sumner says the
organization was looking for just one more family for a home in the Wagner
Lakes subdivision. Now, she's the 700th Habitat for Humanity Homeowner in central
Oklahoma.
"So, it happened so
quickly and I never would have imagined it would have happened to us. So the
boys are very excited," said Sumner.
"And she's worked
very hard for this. She has been required to put in 300 hours of sweat equity. Then,
when she starts making her house payments, her payments will go directly into
our construction budget. So she'll really be helping us build new houses,"
said Ann Felton, CEO for the Central Oklahoma Habitat for Humanity.
As another family looks
forward to a fresh start, the Central Oklahoma's Habitat for Humanity plans to
build at least 45 new homes next year; five in Yukon alone.
Sumner and her two sons will move into her new Habitat
home early next year.
Habitat for Humanity has helped to develop neighborhoods all across central Oklahoma.
