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Piedmont Habitat for Humanity recently celebrated the completion of its fifth home in Buckingham County and its 44th family served overall.

Due to appropriate measures needed in light of the current circumstances related to COVID-19, the home dedication ceremony was unique. Typically, these milestones are marked by a large gathering of family, friends and neighbors commemorating the completion of a journey.

Although the gathering could not happen, there was no less joy as Doreen Jones cut the ribbon on her new home and prepared to move in and enjoy the fruits of her labor. Jones has been hard at work in the Habitat homeownership program the past two years, beginning with the application process.

Upon receiving notification that she had been selected, she was overjoyed, as a new home would meet a critical need in providing her with a greatly improved living condition from her then current residence.

An important part of the Habitat model is that a home is built with the family and not for the family. To this end, Doreen worked hard to earn her 200 required hours of sweat-equity, all while maintaining full-time employment. In addition to attending homeowner education classes and working on her own home, she also labored on Habitat homes in Prince Edward and Cumberland, along with volunteering at the Habitat ReStore in Farmville. All of her dedication was fully realized as she took those first steps into her new home.

“First, I want to thank the Lord. Thank you Jesus for this day. And I want to thank everybody who had a part in making my dreams come true in building this house,” Jones said. “I just want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

As with all Habitat builds, this was a community effort, as donors and volunteers were united in the simple idea of loving neighbors through shelter. More than ever, the current reality of stay at home orders and safer at home orders highlight just how important a safe, decent, affordable home truly is.

“Doreen works hard as an essential employee in a Charlottesville nursing home, and we hope her home will be a place of true rest and relaxation as she comes home each evening,” Piedmont Habitat’s Sam Rabon said.