Natchez-Adams County Habitat for Humanity Inc., a United Way agency, is proud to announce the completion of its 15th home here in Natchez at 14 Zoa St.

The City of Natchez donated the lot to Habitat a few years ago. The house was completed in eight months with the help of more than 100 different volunteers who worked more than 3,000 hours. A dedication ceremony will be at the new house at 2 p.m. Sunday at which time the keys to the home will be given to the newest members of the Habitat family, Patricia Beverly and her son. All volunteers, financial donors and the general public are invited.

Each Habitat family is required to put in at least 250 hours of “sweat equity.” Ms. Beverly and her sisters worked most of the hours themselves with some assistance from her friends, coworkers from the library, and several existing Habitat owners.

We would like to extend a special thank you to certain individuals who worked along side me for more than 300 hours each; Luther Cain and Glenn Smith who answered the call for regular volunteers last fall and did not miss a day afterwards.

This was the third and final house that Habitat partnered with Youth Build, a program funded by the U.S. Department of Labor that puts high school dropouts to work in construction projects while helping them to earn a G.E.D. Youth Build’s funding was not renewed and we will miss their assistance.

We had tremendous support from the following organizations/groups: Women Build, Delta Sigma Theta, Kappa Alpha Psi, Alcorn AgBusiness club, Jefferson Street United Methodist Church youth group, St. Mary Basilica, Parkway Baptist Church, New Hope Missionary Baptist Church and Hamilton College in New York. We would like to thank the many professionals such as Lee Scott Construction Company (electrical), Jeff Holmes and sons (sheetrock finishers), Tillage Construction Company (cabinets) and Buffalo Sod Farm (landscaping), who donated their services.

Habitat will be returning to the Smith Street area as two houses were purchased at 1018 and 1020 Martin Luther King St., and later demolished. Habitat has already built eight homes in this area and is pleased to return.

If anyone is interested in applying for a Habitat home, wants to volunteer to help with construction, make a financial donation, or donate building materials or land, please contact me at 601-807-4956 or write to Habitat for Humanity at PO Box 100, Natchez, MS. 39121.

Duncan McFarlane is the Adams County Habitat for Humanity secretary/treasurer.