The Natchez-Adams County affiliate of Habitat for Humanity, a United Way agency, is proud to announce the McGee family — Arnette, Dewey and their four teenage sons — will be moving into their new home very soon. A formal dedication ceremony at the house, 824 Martin Luther King St. at 2 p.m. Sunday is planned, when the keys to their home will be officially presented to the McGee family.

All financial donors, volunteer workers, other Habitat homeowners, city officials, and the general public are invited to come to the dedication ceremony and see the emotional impact a new home can have on the new family. Please park across the street on Shadyside.

Construction of this house started back in October 2014 and was built primarily with volunteer labor; 120 different volunteers spent the equivalent of more than 300 workdays to finish the house in about 10 months. Included in this total are the 500 hours worked by the McGees as a certain number of “sweat equity” (actual work time) hours is a requirement strictly imposed by Habitat.

A very special thank you to those who provided their expertise free of charge or at a substantial discount; these include Lee Scott Construction (electrical), Ken Tillage (cabinets), Scooter Cauthern (dug foundation and driveway), Chuck Goldman and crew (flooring installation), J&J Carpet (flooring), Delta Rentals (tiller), Robert Fuller Roofing Company, and Bob Longmire’s Buffalo Sod Farm (pallets of sod).

And we cannot forget all the volunteer groups that helped throughout the process: Alcorn University (Alpha Kappa Alpha), various churches (St. Mary Basilica (adults and youth), Grace United Methodist, and Jefferson Street United Methodist youth group; civic clubs (Vidalia Key Club, and Rotary Club), Leadership Natchez, Delta Sigma Theta, Kappa Alpha Psi, students from Cathedral and Natchez High Schools and Vidalia Student council.

After a brief rest period during these hot months, Habitat will start construction on another house in October or November.

Here in Natchez the local affiliate is completing its 19th house since its organization in 1991.

If you wish to make a financial contribution, donate construction materials, receive an application for a Habitat home, or volunteer to work on the next house, you may contact Habitat for Humanity by calling 601-445-8639, 601-807-4956, or by writing to P.O. Box 100, Natchez, MS. 39121.

 

Duncan McFarlane is secretary of the Natchez-Adams Habitat group.