Bell County Habitat for Humanity is excited to announce the Johnson Family Home dedication on Saturday, April 6, 2013 starting at 10 a.m., located at 806 Carter St., Killeen. We invite everyone to stop by and wish good tidings to the Johnson family.

Earl Johnson and his six children moved to Killeen from Mississippi in 2008; and now after many years of hard work and waiting, the family will get the keys to their new five bedrooms, two-bath home!

Greater Vision Community Church- Killeen (GVCC) and the First United Methodist Church (FUMC) have collected food for the Johnson Family pantry.

Ms. Clementine Ming and the Out Reach Ministry of GVCC have gladly helped Habitat over the years and this brings them joy to help with this project. The church’s volunteers have helped at Habitat by providing volunteers and monetary support. Greater Vision Community Church will be at the Johnson Family residence this Friday to help stock the panty.

Nina Fowler of the FUMC-Killeen, Missions Committee relayed the story of giving a “pounding” to Habitat. In rural churches years ago, when a pastor moved to a parsonage, members of the congregation gave a gift, maybe a pound of flour or a pound of sugar for the family. This tradition has been called “a pounding.” When Mr. Earl Johnson and his five children move to their new Habitat house on April 6, 2013, items needed for the house will have been collected to help, mostly canned goods. Ms. Colleen Smith is the church representative for Habitat for Humanity efforts. The collection of items for the house is sponsored by the mission committee, which is chaired by Nina Fowler, assisted by Ms. Jodi Marfell in collecting the items. To close, “a pound of prayer, a pound of wishes and health” for the Johnson family will welcome them into their new home. This act of kindness is the reflection of our community’s concern and care for one another.

Sponsors for this home include: Union State Bank – Harker Heights, Lott & Vernon & Company, PC, Painting With A Twist, Greater Fort Hood Area United Way, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority- Killeen, Cornerstone Baptist Church, First United Methodist Church – Killeen, Greater Vision Community Church, St. Christopher’s Episcopal Church, Immanuel Lutheran Church – Killeen, Memorial Baptist Church, St. Paul’s Catholic Church – Killeen, Clarke Family Foundation and several individuals.

We thank our sponsors and donors including those who are scheduled to donate lunch to the construction volunteers: Billy Bob’ Burger’s No. 1-Killeen, Red Sea Baptist Church-Killeen, Papa Johns Pizza-Killeen, Subways-Eastlake Mall-Killeen, First United Methodist Church Women’s Group-Killeen, Texas Roadhouse-Killeen, Thomas Chapel AME-Killeen, Pizza Hut, Lunch Provided by: Coufal Insurance Company-Temple, Sprint-Temple, Coffee provided by Valero, Snacks provided by H.E.B.

To all community members who provided monetary support, sponsorships, and partnerships we appreciate you! To the MANY volunteers who donated over 1,610 hours, we salute you! You are the building blocks of the Habitat home!

The selection process for purchasing a home is in-depth. It considers an applicant’s need, income, and willingness to partner, which means a recipient, must donate 300-plus hours of volunteer time (depends on family size), to the nonprofit. The habitat houses are built by volunteers, who come every Friday and Saturday and help keep labor costs to a minimum.

Thank you for supporting Habitat in building homes communities and hope! For information, please contact Steve Church, Executive Director, at our Habitat office, 254-680-4007.

Bell County Habitat for Humanity, Inc. is a non-profit affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International, an ecumenical, Christian housing ministry dedicated to seeking to put God’s love into action by bringing people together to build homes, communities and hope in Bell County and the surrounding area. By building affordable, energy efficient homes for low-income families using volunteer labor and providing a zero percent mortgage, Habitat is maintaining affordable housing and eliminating poverty housing one family at a time. We are a United Way agency.

For more information about the Fort Hood Area Habitat for Humanity, visit the web site at www.forthoodareahabitat.org.