Habitat for Humanity Builds Dignified Homes for All
“We finally have a place to truly call our own,” says Frankie, a veteran and single father of three.
For years, Frankie juggled rising rent and medical costs for his daughter, who has an autoimmune disease. Frankie and his family now live in Hope Springs — a development built by the Greeley-Weld, CO chapter of Habitat for Humanity.
Frankie’s story isn't singular. Habitat for Humanity has made this same type of stability possible for 62 million people worldwide since 1976.
A Farm, a Friendship, and a New Vision
It started with a visit to a Christian community farm in Sumter County, Georgia.
Businessman and lawyer Millard Fuller was at the height of his success when he decided to walk away from it. Committed to living a life of Christian service, he and his wife sold their possessions, gave the proceeds to the poor, and set out to make a difference.
While visiting friends on a road trip through Georgia in 1965, the Fullers stopped at the Koinonia Farm community and met its founder, Clarence Jordan.
Jordan and the Koinonia Farm community had created something remarkable for their era.
When the farm was founded in 1942, it was illegal in most of the South for people of different races to live, work, or go to school together. Guided by his faith, Jordan envisioned a community where Black and White Americans lived and worked together as equals. Koinonia, named after the ancient Greek word for fellowship, was born.
What was supposed to be a two-hour visit turned into a months-long stay.
There, they learned from Jordan and his approach to “enlightened charity,” a type of generosity that prioritized partnership over dependency.
A Fund Designed to Keep Giving
In 1968, Fuller and Jordan put their mission to work and created the Fund for Humanity, making homeownership possible for community members who couldn’t afford it otherwise.
Instead of treating each home as a one-time act of charity, the Fund for Humanity was designed to keep helping families generation after generation. The fund covered the cost of building homes and provided no-interest mortgages. As homeowners repaid their loans, that money was used to build more homes for other families. Future homeowners also helped build their own houses alongside volunteers, reducing costs and creating a shared investment in the community.
This model would become the foundation of Habitat for Humanity.
National Recognition for Faith in Action
Habitat for Humanity reached a turning point in 1984, when Fuller asked former President Jimmy Carter to get involved. Carter agreed to serve on the organization’s board, bring national visibility to fundraising efforts, and even work on a construction crew.
Carter and a team of volunteers renovated a six-story tenement building in New York City, alongside the 19 families who would become the homeowners of those homes. The event helped raise Habitat's profile and attract more donations, and Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter remained dedicated partners for decades to come.
“Habitat has successfully removed the stigma of charity by substituting it with a sense of partnership,” said former President Carter. “Like other Habitat volunteers, I have learned that our greatest blessings come when we are able to improve the lives of others.”
Built by Community
Habitat for Humanity's model of generosity includes donations of time, money and material. Habitat ReStores allow neighbors to donate furniture, appliances, housewares, building materials, and other home improvement items. The ReStore then sells them to the community to help fund new homes.
With this model, everyone in the community has a role to play and a shared investment in bettering their neighbors life. Volunteers are invited to help build homes and staff the ReStores. Donors give money to sustain Habitat's work. Alongside future homeowners, community members support one another to ensure everyone has a stable and dignified home.
