The new Habitat for Humanity home in Prairie Grove was crowded on the inside and hot. That didn't matter to those gathered for the special occasion. Everyone was present to celebrate the completion of a new home for a new family.
Habitat's motto is "Turning Hope into a Home."
Gaye Wilcox, president of Washington County Habitat for Humanity Board of Directors, handed over the key to the house in late July to Rebecca Ponder and her three children, who will live in the first Habitat home outside the Fayetteville and Springdale area. Ponder's three teenage children are Antonio Juarez, Elena Juarez and Austen Juarez.
"I was a completely different person when I came into your office," Rebecca Ponder told Habitat representatives in thanking all involved for her new three-bedroom home at 1381 Arkansas Lane in Battlefield Estates. "You've helped me a lot and I'd like to say thank you."
She expressed her appreciation to all the volunteers who worked on the house and the many individuals and organizations that donated to the project.
The program for the dedication ceremony included one full page naming all those who sponsored or contributed to the home.
"Prairie Grove opened their heart, and there aren't words to describe this," said Michelle Davis, resource development manager, pointing out all those listed on the program. "This is really what we're all about. It's about building a stronger community. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts. We had help from all over. We are blessed to live in Northwest Arkansas."
Patrick and Susan Moore of Prairie Grove were the driving force behind the Prairie Grove Habitat home, and both recognized major players in making the house a reality.
Patrick Moore, a Habitat volunteer in Colorado and then with Washington County, approached the office about building a home outside Fayetteville and Springdale. The Habitat office gave him the go-ahead, and Moore's first event was to set up a booth at the 2012 Prairie Grove Clothesline Fair to tell people about the project. Nabholtz Construction saw the booth and jumped on board to help.
"Two years later, here we are," Moore said at the dedication. "This has been harder than I thought."
"Everyone helping is what makes it worth it," he added.
Another volunteer, Dora Johnson, a member of Prairie Grove Christian Church, has helped build houses on mission trips with her church. She talked about being able to help with a home in her own community. Johnson said she knew God was involved in the project when she was telling fellow employees at Walmart about the Habitat home and Ponder, who works for the Walmart Optical Center, heard Johnson talking about it.
"That house is for me," Ponder told Johnson.
Chad Ball, a Board of Directors member, presented Ponder with a Bible for the home, and Vance Eubanks, pastor of Prairie Grove Christian Church, asked everyone to gather around the family while he prayed for them and their home.
Susan Moore presented a beautiful, colorful quilt to the family, saying the quilt is machine washable and is supposed to be "used," not set aside to admire.
One presentation at the beginning of the dedication almost overshadowed the rest of the program. The children mentioned they would like a "four-legged" friend at the groundbreaking in March. They were given a small, beagle-mixed dog to the delight of Elena, who immediately took the animal and hugged it to her chest.
Ponder and her family were scheduled to move in to the home this month.
NAN Our Town on 08/21/2014