HABITAT FOR HUMANITY DEDICATES TWO MORE HOUSES

Cody Bredekamp giggled as he stood in the back of the large, empty closet in his new bedroom at 56 Centennial St.

As he looked around, the 6-year-old decided that instead of hanging his clothes in the closet, he'll use the space as a hideout for him and his stuffed brown bear, Superman.

"I'm going to put my TV here and my bed here ... um ... and my toy box right here, I think," said Cody, who tossed Superman in the air and ran off to show guests his sister's bedroom and the bathroom they will share.

About 30 well-wishers and Habitat for Humanity volunteers gathered Sunday at the Bredekamps' for a dedication and blessing ceremony.

Thanks to the dedication and support of the local Habitat for Humanity chapter and its volunteers, Cody, his 9-year-old sister, Kayla, and his mother, Cindy Bredekamp, will live in a new three-bedroom, one-and-a-half bathroom house on Cape Girardeau's northeast side.

The Bredekamp home is the 10th house built by the local chapter of Habitat for Humanity and its volunteers.

The group also honored Habitat for Humanity's 11th house, 54 Green Acres, which now is owned by Delois Jackson and her children, Tyoun, 22, and Lakeisha, 18.

First-time owners

Both Bredekamp and Jackson are single mothers embarking on their first experience owning their own home.

Jackson, 44, is a custodian for facility management at Southeast Missouri State University. She said she worked at her new house every Saturday for 28 months while it was being constructed.

Her light blue, three-bedroom, one-bathroom home is a dream come true with a dishwasher and a microwave oven -- two appliances Jackson said she really wanted.

"I had the opportunity to plan out from beginning to end what I wanted in my house, within budget," Jackson said. "I am very happy. God has really blessed me."

Bredekamp, 33, works for Blue Cross and has been divorced from an abusive relationship for two years. She and her children live in a two-bedroom trailer, which they are quickly outgrowing.

Bredekamp's father, Bill Benefield, is semi-retired and donated a lot of time to the construction.

Many volunteers

Benefield said he was surprised by the number of eager volunteers who worked on the house and the people and companies that donated equipment and supplies.

He recalled one college student who volunteered on the project and wound up climbing around in mud up to her waist.

"She never complained, and she never said she wasn't coming back," Benefield said. "That's the kind of help you get with this outfit. It's just fantastic the help that we got. I put a lot of time in, partly because it's my daughter. But I suspect when they start the next one, I'll be right there on it."

Habitat for Humanity is a nonprofit, nondenominational Christian housing organization that builds simple, decent, affordable houses in partnership with those in need.

Since 1976, the group, which has chapters throughout the world, has built more than 100,000 houses in more than 60 countries, including about 30,000 houses in the United States.

Bredekamp, who estimates she and her father put in at least 1,200 hours on the house, said she loves to look at her family's new home and realize she had a hand in its construction every step of the way.

"You know about everything that's happened in the house because you helped put it there," she said. "A lot of blood, sweat and tears went into this house. It's a wonderful feeling."

As Bredekamp thanked people for their help and proudly showed off her hand-picked tile, carpeting, paint and fixtures, she reminded them that anything is possible if they set their mind to it.

"A lot of people say, You're lucky,'" she said. "It's not luck. It's a blessing. If you're willing to work for what you want, you can have it."