“On Sunday, July 19th, Habitat for Humanity of Greater Sacramento hosted a first-ever virtual Home Dedication ceremony, to celebrate the completion of two new Habitat homes for the Omar and Emelyanenko families as part of an interfaith Build for Unity initiative. The two homes were made possible through fundraising and volunteer efforts contributed by more than 50 community partners and faith organizations representing Muslim, Catholic, Jewish, Christian, and Non-Denominational communities in the Sacramento region.
To watch the virtual dedication ceremony, key hand-off to the families, and tour of the homes, click here. Photos of the event can be found here.
Build for Unity began in Sacramento in 2016 as a movement to bring together people of all faiths, backgrounds, and traditions to celebrate the beauty in our differences and recognize that we can build a stronger community when we come together to serve our community in unity. The initiative has since spread to more than 30 cities across the nation. Through fundraising, faith events to learn about one another’s traditions, and thousands of volunteer hours contributed by volunteer teams, two new Habitat homes stand in Sacramento as a declaration of unity and as safe, affordable housing for two families.
Every Habitat home is a hand up, not hand-out. The Omar and Emelyanenko families each contributed 500 hours of sweat equity to help build their homes and have purchased the homes for a 30-year, 0% interest equivalent affordable mortgage. A Habitat home serves as a permanent, stable foundation for a low-income family to build a brighter future. Having a safe place to call home, and stay at home to keep your family healthy, means more now than ever before.
Thank you to all the faith partners who made these two homes and Sunday’s dedication event possible. Welcome home Omar and Emelyanenko families!
Interested in joining Habitat’s interfaith Build for Unity Committee, or getting your faith group involved in the next Build for Unity? Contact Kaitlyn Bathke at KBathke@HabitatGreaterSac.org!