The Mullins family home dedication Sunday, June 10, offered a powerful reminder of the impact Farmville Area Habitat for Humanity is making in the Heart of Virginia, and that impact has now expanded to Cumberland.

Pam Mullins and her 16-year-old daughter, Jenice Crump, will soon be living in the first Cumberland home site made possible by the organization.

“I don’t know how to explain it,” Mullins said after the dedication. “It’s been two years coming, and I didn’t think I was ever going to have a new house. I was in an accident a couple years ago, and I broke both of my legs, and so now I can’t work a job-job, so it’s been hard, and this is just a blessing.”

She struggled to put a number on the amount of people who helped to make the house a reality, knowing that it was many.

“I would say at least more than 50 — somewhere between 50 and 100,” she said. “It’s been a lot.”

She expected her official move-in date to be imminent.

“We’re waiting on the water test, and then they have to come and do the last inspection,” she said June 10, “so hopefully we can start moving in next weekend.”

Sam Rabon, community outreach director for Farmville Area Habitat for Humanity, noted that the June 10 dedication was exciting.

“Pam’s been in the program for a little while now, and I’ve gotten to know her and her family, and (I’m) just really happy for them,” he said. “They’ve worked really hard on this, and it just allows us to increase our range, if you will, to allow us to be able to serve more, which we’re always excited about, being able to really finally get started in earnest in Cumberland and not have it just as like a one-off, but this kind of sets the tone from going from here to the next house.”

During the dedication program, Rabon made a point to introduce Tarika Brown, who will be the owner of the next Habitat home being built in Cumberland.

“It’s been a great opportunity to develop that local leadership team, which we would not be able to do this without,” Rabon said of the Mullins home build. “Since we serve four counties, we have to have dedicated leaders in each county, and the team that’s come together here in Cumberland is a real solid group, dedicated group. They’re excited. They want to see it continue to build and be able to serve more families. At the end of the day, that’s what it all comes down to — whatever allows us to be able to serve more families is what we’re about.”

The coordinated effort that made the Mullins home possible was highlighted during the Sunday dedication.

A presentation was made to the builder, Pam Mullins’ father, Carl Mullins. Students of Cumberland County Public Schools helped provide the shed that stood adjacent to the house, and Division Superintendent Dr. Amy Griffin and Division Assistant Superintendent of Finance and Operations Dr. Chip Jones presented the shed.

Jean Jeter-Kunath and a couple students from Central Lunenburg High School in Victoria were on hand, representing the school’s Kindness Matters club. Approximately 20 students from Central aided in the construction of the house.

Fitzgerald Memorial Baptist Church Pastor Barry Vassar shared the house blessing. The church has been made available as a meeting place for Farmville Area Habitat for Humanity, affording the organization a location to plan and organize efforts in the county.

Near the beginning of the June 10 dedication, Rabon shared Habitat for Humanity’s mission statement.

“‘Seeking to put God’s love into action. Habitat brings people together to build homes, communities and hope,’” he said. “And that is what we are here to celebrate today.”