State Farm employees and Habitat for Humanity crew members joined together in the State Farm Headquarters parking lot Tuesday to build the walls of Habitat’s two newest McLean County homes.
Throughout a morning and afternoon session, the 60 volunteers split into teams where they were each responsible for building a wall — a process made easy with the help of retired crew members. The interior and exterior walls will serve as the foundation for two neighboring homes that will be built on Trailside Court in Bloomington.
This wall build kicks off Habitat for Humanity's 50th anniversary celebration in McLean County with longtime partner State Farm. Through its “50 in 50 Whole Home Sponsorship,” State Farm is sponsoring each of the wall builds and one full home.
Rasheed Merritt, a corporate responsibility leader at State Farm, has helped build many homes with Habitat for Humanity as he focuses on ways State Farm can give back and invest in sustainable housing.
“We're changing lives,” Merritt said. “We get to do builds with some of the people that are actually moving into these homes, so this is more than just a build. This is about engaging our employees, engaging the community and kickstarting someone's life in a better way.”
Tuesday's morning session completed all wall construction after an hour of work, with volunteers closely following the written instructions and then signing the completed walls, leaving notes for the future owners.
Volunteers then assembled four walls to create a temporary room where the group could pose for a photo and celebrate their work.
Jolene Aldus, executive director for Habitat for Humanity of McLean County, noted how State Farm’s mission heavily aligns with Habitat’s, making their partnership a good fit.
“State Farm really does invest in their families and their people in the community, and that's exactly what we're doing too,” Aldus said. “They've been supporting us for the last three or four decades here in McLean County, through volunteers, through in-kind donations, through sponsorships [and] through the ReStore … They've been a very consistent partner of ours, and I don't see that that's going to change.”
A place to call home
The two homes being built will house local families, including Chasity Mast and her two daughters. Mast and one of her daughters joined the volunteers Tuesday morning, as they helped assemble the walls to their future home.
“It means a lot to me,” Mast said. “This is for our future, and I’m so emotional right now, because this is such a great experience and a great opportunity."
Habitat facilitates interest free, zero down financing for qualifying families, providing a path to home ownership that's difficult for many in Bloomington-Normal's tough housing market.
Construction on the homes will continue throughout the summer as volunteers can help during Friday mornings and occasional Wednesdays.
Habitat partner families are required to fulfill 250 “sweat hours,” where they volunteer building their home and other homes or working at ReStore, Habitat for Humanity’s donation center in Bloomington. They also receive homeowner education as they prepare to get their keys.
“[Sustainable housing] provides many opportunities," State Farm employee and volunteer Tori Alexander said, like "having a place to lay your head and feel comfortable and safe.
“You feel good about yourself and the opportunities that can come out of having an affordable house — that you feel safe and loved expands everything.”
