Habitat honors donors, volunteers
By Becky Barclay
Published in News on March 30, 2014 1:50 AM
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Habitat award winners are, front from left, Donna Mercer with Builders Discount Center, Darryl Atkins, future homeowner, Corey Kennedy with Stepping Stone and Duane Banks with the Lord's Table; and back from left, John Lynch and Hubert Grantham with Stepping Stone and Bill Royall with the Habitat board.
At its annual recognition luncheon Wednesday, Habitat for Humanity of Goldsboro presented eight awards to local businesses and volunteers who have helped the organization over the past year.
Receiving the 2013 Gift in Kind Award was Builders Discount Center. The award is given to a company or person that donates goods or services for building Habitat homes.
"This year, we have been blessed by such a wonderful company that has gone above and beyond the call of duty and sponsored our Mount Olive house and Adopt-a-Day event," said Dr. Ti'eshia Moore, Habitat director. "They donated a complete siding packet."
The 2013 New-Comer Award went to Tonya Jaime, Habitat office volunteer. She goes into the office two and three times a week and does whatever the staff needs her to do.
Bank of America received the 2013 Sponsor Award for supporting Habitat. Bank of America donated two properties to the organization, one in Fremont and another in Mount Olive, which Habitat renovated.
The 2013 Board Member Award was presented to Bill Royall, president of the board.
He has served on the board since 2009 and has volunteered his time constructing homes as well.
Dr. Moore said Royall is "very passionate about Habitat and our mission to show God's love through lending a helping hand and loving his neighbor."
The 2013 Community Partner Award went to the Lord's Table for opening its doors and allowing college students from various parts of the country to come and stay at the church for four weeks and feeding the students.
Darryl Atkins, future Habitat homeowner, was presented the 2013 Partner Family Award for going above and beyond the requirement to complete 300 hours of sweat equity (helping build his and other families' homes) to purchase his home.
"This year's recipient is someone who has gone through some adversities, but still maintains a smile and a joyful heart," Dr. Moore said. "He is always willing to lend a helping hand in anything that is presented to him. He has a love for Habitat, not only for what we are doing for him, but also for our mission to spread the love of God to our community."
The Servant's Heart Award went to Hubert Grantham with Habitat's partner agency, Stepping Stone. Grantham goes to Habitat almost every day and works with the Restore staff, accumulating more than 500 hours of volunteer service.
Restore Partner of the Year Award was presented to National NICC for donating cabinets worth more than $32,000 last year to the organization.
Inducted into the Edgerton Society, named for Bill and Jan Edgerton, founders of the Goldsboro Habitat, was Hubert Grantham.
During the awards luncheon, Andrew Jernigan with Jernigan Furniture talked about why his company gives to Habitat for Humanity.
"Habitat is a hand up, not a hand out," he said. "The world is only going to get better by us working together to make it a better place."
For about nine years, Jernigan Furniture has been donating damaged furniture to the Habitat Restore. And twice a year, the furniture business has a sale where people can bring in their gently-used furniture and get a discount on brand new furniture at Jernigan Furniture. The gently-used furniture is then donated to the Habitat Restore.
Future Habitat homeowner Darryl Atkins talked about partnering with the organization.
The New York native had lived only in apartments before moving to Goldsboro. But after living in a one-bedroom home in West Haven and not having a bedroom for when his 12-year-old daughter came to visit, Atkins decided he wanted a home of his own, but just couldn't afford one.
He got his home through Habitat. And not only did he help build his home, but he's helped build homes for other families.
"I love giving back to the community," he said.
This year's theme for Habitat is "Building Better Futures in Our Own Back Yard."
Dr. Moore said Habitat built six homes last year through the efforts of 10,870 volunteers and donors.
"Every day we get to see lives that are changed and it's an incredible feeling," she said.