Volunteers start work Aug. 15 on the Pope Francis House in the Morningside neighborhood of Detroit. The special Habitat for Humanity project is the result of an anonymous donation.Detroit — Faith has its roots in the community, and communities have their roots in homes.
Inspired by this, an anonymous donor has donated $60,000 to Habitat for Humanity to build or refurbish 11 homes across the country in honor of Pope Francis, including one in the Morningside neighborhood in Detroit.
The Pope Francis build is part of Habitat of Humanity Detroit’s Blitz Build, in which 10 homes in the Morningside neighborhood are either being built or refurbished.
“We’ve been doing Blitz Builds for the last 29 years in Detroit,” said Tara Franey, interim executive director of Habitat for Humanity Detroit. “We’ve built 110 houses in the neighborhood, and it’s created a really big impact on the neighborhood.”
Franey said the Morningside neighborhood was badly affected by the economic downturn in 2008, but updates to area homes have created a sense of pride in the community.
Approximately 20 to 25 volunteers are working on the Pope Francis house, at 4128 Buckingham Drive, including six members of Knight of Columbus Council No. 4401 from Our Lady of Sorrows Parish in Farmington. Joe Hejka, the council’s grand knight, said working with Habitat for Humanity creates a sense of pride in the community.
“The Knights have internationally supported Habitat for Humanity and its mission of providing homes,” Hejka said. “The goal of this particular build is to bring some new homeowners in the area and bring about the rehab spirit of the project, changing the face of Detroit one block at a time.”
Hejka acknowledged people can take up several charities and causes to help their community, but Habitat for Humanity offers volunteers to a chance to accomplish a tangible goal on which they can reflect years down the line.
“There is a sense of pride when you volunteer for Habitat for Humanity,” Hejka said. “You get to look at the house and think, ‘I helped build that,’ and you meet the homeowner, which puts a face on the house.”
During Pope Francis’ trip to South America, the pontiff highlighted the necessity for economic programs that benefit the lower and middle classes, saying everyone is entitled to a safe home with access to clean water, public transportation and good-paying jobs.
At the Pope Francis build, newly ordained Jesuit Fr. Tim McCabe presided over Mass the morning of Aug. 15 before construction began. Volunteers at the build were glad to help put a family in a home, but many felt they were getting much more out of the experience than the recipients.
“People from all over the archdiocese are here, helping out when they can; it’s just another Saturday for us,” said Mike Stahl, one of the project leaders for the Pope Francis build. “Projects like this are the only way the city is going to recover. Habitat for Humanity has built 120 homes in this neighborhood, and it’s been transformative. When people think of Habitat for Humanity, they need to know it’s not a charity, it’s a self-improvement program, with Christian roots based all over the world.”
Habitat for Humanity Detroit has been rehabilitating and building homes since 1986 and to date has assisted more than 350 families find homes in the city. The new homeowners sign a contract with Habitat for Humanity, which states the homeowners will pay a no-interest mortgage in exchange for putting in “sweat equity” by helping volunteers build the house.
Pope Francis House leader Joe Newland Jr. has been affiliated with Habitat for Humanity in Detroit since 1997. He said the biggest driving force behind his work is looking at an empty lot or home in disrepair and asking about the possibilities.
“Whenever I start a project, I can see it all right before me, and I know what’s possible,” Newland said. “For every home we do, two to three other ones on the street become better, because the owners and the renters want to keep up. We get to meet the new homeowners and work alongside them, and they really develop a sense of ownership over the home. What Habitat for Humanity does is just so important; it really is a reverse cancer for a neighborhood.”
More information
For more information about Habitat for Humanity Detroit, visit www.habitatdetroit.org. To learn more about the Francis Build, visit www.popefrancisbuild.com
