A Home for the Holidays.

At a glance the Forgette’s modest three bedroom home on Pleasant Ave might not seem special but, to this family of four, it is.  That’s because the Forgette’s, like so many other people, worked hard to keep their family safe in a rental property that barely met their basic needs.  Their dream of owning a home was to remain a dream, until Habitat for Humanity of Fulton County chose them as a partner family in 2009.

For months, the Forgette’s, along with volunteers from all over Fulton County, met on Pleasant Avenue to literally build a better life.  Habitat for Humanity of Fulton County and the Forgettes built the home for Jamie, Greg, Gavin and Saige as part of the organization’s ongoing mission to, as Habitat for Humanity International founder - Millard Fuller - put it, “eliminate poverty housing from the face of the earth.”

“I couldn’t wait for Saturdays; it was like, ok let’s go work on the house,” Jamie Forgette said.  Wednesday and Saturday, week after week, volunteers showed up to cut lumber, hang drywall, lay carpeting, and paint.  After months of work, the Forgette’s house was completed and the family moved in this past July.

“Now when I look at the house I have a real sense of accomplishment.  I can look at something and say I did that,” Jamie Forgette said. “When I look at this house now, I see a home, a safe place for my boys.”

Habitat for Humanity of Fulton County has brought seven families, including the Forgette’s, home for the holidays during its 14 years of service. The non-profit, all volunteer organization is currently looking for its eighth partner family for its next project. 

Jamie Levendusky VP of HFHFC describes Habitat’s vision as “a hand up, not a hand out. We work with our partner families to build their home, and they put their time and effort in.  We continue to work with them after the build in a supportive role.  We are working year round, even when we don’t have a current build.  There is an incredible amount of work to do throughout the year…besides swinging hammers.  We are always in need of non-construction volunteers to do administrative, fundraising and marketing activities.”

The Forgettes were struck by the “overwhelming friendliness” of the HFHFC volunteers.  Jamie Forgette noted, “These were people we didn’t know, and they were helping us build our house. We are blessed.” -The Forgettes are looking forward to spending Christmas together this year. “What’s different for me is that we all sit around the dinner table as a family. We couldn’t do that in our old house because the kitchen was so small,” Greg said.

The Forgettes are finding new ways to enjoy their new home. “In our old home, we didn’t want the kids playing outside; we were out in the yard here the other day.  The best part of our home is that my kids are happy,” Greg said.

According to their website Habitat for Humanity International has completed 350,000 houses worldwide.  The organization has completed 61,000 houses so far this year alone; that’s seven houses, built, rehabbed, or repaired every hour, of every day, all year long. To donate or volunteer locally visit www.hfhfc.com.