Habitat finishes first houses in subdivision

When LaTanya Thomas walked up to her house Sunday afternoon wearing a colorful spring dress and a pair of sandals, some of the people standing in her driveway almost didn't recognize her.

For the past six months Thomas and the 20 Habitat for Humanity volunteers in her driveway met a couple of days a week and on Saturdays wearing jeans, T-shirts and tennis shoes to work in the dirt and mud to build a house.

They gathered Sunday to dedicate Thomas's house at 1238 College and her neighbor Sharon Tisdale's house at 1244 College.

The two houses are the first to be completed in the Carter Estates subdivision at the corner of West End Boulevard and College Street and represent the 12th and 13th houses built by the local chapter of Habitat for Humanity and its volunteers.

The neighborhood was named Carter Estates after President Jimmy Carter, whose work with Habitat is well known around the world.

Both Thomas and Tisdale are first-time homeowners.

"I never thought I would have a home that would be just mine," Tisdale said. "Somewhere where the kids can play basketball in the yard and nobody can say anything about it and where I can walk outside and plant whatever flowers I want."

Tisdale, who got married in December, moved into her house in late February with her 16-year-old son, Dereck, and new husband, Denny.

Thomas is a single mother raising her 12-year-old son, Jameel, and 9-year-old niece, Niquala.

"I always dreamed of owning a home," Thomas said. "I am so blessed to have one."

Habitat for Humanity is a non-profit, Christian-based housing organization that helps build thousands of homes each year for families in need around the United States and in 60 other countries.

Bill Cheeseman, president of the local Habitat for Humanity chapter, said the organization looks at three things when people are interested in owning a Habitat house: Their need, ability to pay and willingness to partner with the organization.

Habitat homeowners are required to put in 350 hours of labor working on their house, and the homes of others.

Thomas and Tisdale said the best things about helping build the houses are feeling like a part of the neighborhood and getting to know future neighbors.

"You have more respect for them when you get to know them and work with each other," Tisdale said about Thomas and the future Habitat homeowners in her neighborhood. "They helped me with my house and I plan on helping them with their houses."

Jan Houston is one of the future homeowners who helped build the first two houses in the Carter Estates neighborhood.

She and her two children, Malcolm, 10, and Jayasiona, 7, will break ground on their house in May. They will be neighbors with the Thomas family.

Houston and Thomas knew each other before working on the houses, but Houston said working together brought them closer.

"We kind of got a bond working together over the past few weeks," she said. "I can't describe it. It's just been a blessing. Helping her build and working beside her is so exciting because I'm the next one in line."

When complete, the Carter Estates neighborhood will have nine Habitat houses.

Cheeseman said by the end of the year five of the houses should be complete with the other four finishing in 2003.

hkronmueller@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 128