Loading...Anniversary Lane in the Silver Leaf area of Knoxville was packed with people on the afternoon of Friday, April 12, as Jeremiah, LuAnn, Brennan, Tyler and Jenna Wood received the keys to their new house along with six other families who now have homes on the street.
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Just after her husband, Jeremiah, accepted the keys to the family's new home, LuAnn Wood related a highlight from a conversation with Neal Evans earlier in the week. Evans, a parishioner of St. Elizabeth in Farragut, told her about the response in the Baptismal Covenant of the Episcopal Church: “I will, with God’s help.” The phrase stuck with Wood. “That’s how I got to be standing here today – with God’s help,” she said. “We made a plaque of it on a landscaping stone that will go in a bed of flowers in our garden,” and she said if someone wants to know if they are happy homeowners, she will say, “We are with God’s help.”
Knox County Episcopal Church volunteers from Good Samaritan, Ascension, St. Luke, St. Elizabeth, St. James, and St. John’s Cathedral participated in the build of the Wood’s house. The Rev. Taylor Dinsmore and the Rev. Caroline Vogel from Good Samaritan, presented the keys to the house, which Dinsmore said “was built with the spirit of Don Sproles,” a parishioner of Good Samaritan, and a long-time supporter and volunteer with Habitat for Humanity. A picture of Sproles had been posted in the window of the house during the 7-day build. “Don would have loved to be here today, she said, “supporting a favorite philanthropy.” “Don and I built five or six houses for Habitat that Good Samaritan sponsored.” said Ben Alford, a good friend of Sproles. “His leadership style was servant leadership – he led by example – on the board of the Volunteer Ministry Center; giving food to Second Harvest through Don and Karen Sproles’ restaurant, the Lunch Box; serving as diocesan treasurer; serving on the vestry of Good Samaritan, and supporting Habitat for Humanity,” Alford said. Alford said that he shared with Sproles a commitment to Habitat for Humanity’s very worthwhile program helping families build community and helping revitalize neighborhoods also, such as when builds take place in formerly blighted areas of the city. “There is a multiplied effect when we start building these houses,” Alford said. “But it’s not just about building the houses; families go through classes – excellent programs – that help them prepare for home ownership, such as budgeting and finance, home maintenance and repair, and landscaping. “Don loved anything that would help other people; he loved to be involved with people and projects where he could see great results.” Alford said. LuAnn Wood said, “I did not meet Don, but I’ve seen his picture every day watching over the build of our house.” Wood said that four years ago, the family was living in Illinois, her husband had no job and they were about to be homeless. Jeremiah searched the web looking for options. “There aren’t many shelters that will take families with husbands,” Wood said. “There are lots of shelters for women, shelters for men and shelters for women with children, but not for families with husbands.” They found Family Promise and spoke with Joyce Shoudy, Executive Director of Family Promise of Knoxville. “We put our faith in God,” Wood said. The family packed up and drove to Knoxville in a jeep. They were accepted into the Knoxville Family Promise program. “It allowed our family to stay together,” she said. “Church of the Ascension was the last church we stayed with before we moved into an apartment, and they’re a covenant partner on our build,” she said. “Four years homeless to homeowner,” Wood said. “Even if we had a million dollars, we could not buy a house in a community like this community,” she said. “You could not buy the love you feel from that house.” The neighbors on either side of the Wood’s home are already close friends. “They’ve been in the same budget classes with us and they’re our next-door neighbors. We’ve literally lived with them for a year. They’re best friends,” Wood said. She's also excited about the location of her house. When she came to the undeveloped subdivision, she found the spot she wanted and set-up a tent there. Although families don’t get to choose specific lots, the lot the family was given was right in the area where she had set-up her tent. Brennan and Tyler have been sharing a room in the family’s apartment, and Brennan has already dibbed the bedroom he wants in their new house. Although the families have keys to their houses, they won’t move in until June, when all the finishing details inside and outside the houses are done and their education requirements are filled. Wood can’t wait. She has plans for making a stained glass creation of her own design that will go in the small window just above and to the left of the front door. “We might not have a sofa right away,” Wood said, explaining that she wants to save until they can buy a big sectional sofa for the living room that will hold the whole family for family movie nights. She is also thinking about what they’ll plant in the garden – she wants yellow clover, sunflowers and daisies. “Everything about it is perfect,” Wood said. |
From a few of the volunteers: “This is my first build,” said Jim Browne of St. James. “It’s a great way to serve the community and to build community. I believe we’re called to serve and I’m a big believer in environmental stewardship, including assisting those in need in many ways. It’s important because Jesus said so.” |
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Jim Cronin of St. Johns’ Cathedral has participated in eight to 10 builds over several years. He’s “mostly retired from construction,” but he’s a weekend volunteer or part of the Tuesday and Thursday Habitat crew. |
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Rick Brown of St. James said, “When I grew up we didn’t have it made and I learned to give back what we’ve been given. I’ve been given a lot.” |
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| “The important thing is to serve the community and the church,” John Threadgill of Ascension said. “I also enjoy meeting people I don’t know from my own parish and people from other parishes – it’s a broadening experience.” He said that when the project came up at Ascension, the vestry told them how much money they needed to raise. He had the idea of creating a challenge for two groups in the church, the Brotherhood of St. Andrew and the “Other Brothers.” Within 36 hours, all the needed funds had been raised. “We have very generous people in the parish,” he said. | ||
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Venice Peek of Ascension, moved back to Knoxville in 2010 from southern California. “I made financial contributions to Habitat for Humanity every year when I was in California,” she said, adding that she had grown through work on one build where the foreman had pushed and challenged the volunteers to expand their limits and do things they didn’t think they could do. “I thought this would be a good project for my son (Marvin Peek) and I to work on together,” she said. “I think quality housing and home ownership make a big difference in the life of a person.” Marvin Peek said this was his first Habitat House. |
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Neal Evans of St. Elizabeth shot a photo journal and time-lapse videos of the entire build. See the church's site, //stelizabeths.dioet.org/ for his photos and videos. |
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Bishop Young said he and Kammy started working with Habitat for Humanity right after they were married and worked on four or five houses together. “It’s all about the baptismal covenant – proclaiming by word and example the good news of God in Christ. It’s about loving your neighbor as yourself, striving for justice and peace among all people and respecting the dignity of every human being. That’s what followers of Jesus do,” he said. “Love in the ancient near-Eastern world of Jesus was not about affection, it was about attachment – about actions, not feelings.” The bishop said we are to spend our time, energy and money so others’ lives may be made better. “Jesus also said that to whom much is given, much is expected. That’s me,” the bishop said, “I’ve been given much.” |
Habitat for Humanity offers families a hand up, not a hand out. The organization supports partner families with training in budgeting, home and landscape maintenance and how to be a good neighbor. In addition, every partner family devotes hours of “sweat equity” to help build their home and secures a zero interest mortgage provided by Habitat.
480 homes built over 28 years through Knoxville Habitat for Humanity are owned by families in Knoxville. The organization currently builds about 25 homes a year and has one multi-home blitz build each year.
