Habitat For Humanity Begins 50th House in Wilson County

Lebanon, Tenn.(July 19, 2010) — “I can’t believe this is really happening,” expressed a humble Nicole Lee as she watched 25 volunteers begin construction on the house into which she and her three children will eventually move. She is the partner family for the 50^th house built by Habitat for Humanity of Wilson County. Upon completion of the four-bedroom, two-bath house, Habitat will sell the home to Lee at a 25-year, 0% interest loan.

While much preparation for the build had already occurred, this past Saturday, July 17, was the first day that volunteers came to the site. Habitat traditionally builds simple, decent, affordable houses with the help of volunteers. “It’s hard to believe this day finally arrived. I am so thankful for Habitat and all the volunteers who are making this possible for me,” added Lee.

As part of the requirements to become a Habitat homeowner, Lee is in the process of earning 300 “sweat equity” hours. Lee earns those hours by working on her own house and attending classes to prepare for homeownership. Lee has already completed a course through the Master Gardner’s program as well as a series of classes related to budgeting and financial management.

Interestingly, the 50^th house is being constructed within a couple of blocks of the first Habitat house in Wilson County, built in 1994 and still occupied by the original homeowner.

Habitat’s 50^th house is a “Community Build”, sponsored by various businesses and churches. Lowe’s is the primary sponsor. The Lowe’s Corporation awarded Wilson County’s Habitat affiliate a $20,000 grant to be applied to this house. Local employees from Lowe’s are also volunteering to construct the 50^th house.

The first sponsoring group to provide volunteers was Payment Express Systems, a Lebanon-based company owned by Bob Black, who is also a member of Habitat’s Board of Directors. “I have a great team! I’m proud of their work at the office, and I’m proud of their work here on the job site today,” declared Black as volunteers cleaned the site Saturday after working diligently to install the flooring system and erect the walls.

The volunteers on Saturday also included Lebanon Mayor Philip Craighead and Lebanon Police Chief Scott Bowen.

Other 50^th House Sponsors are Best Buy, Bridgestone Trust Fund, Cedar Stone Bank, Faith Lutheran Church, Friendship Community Church, Middle Tennessee Electric Customers Care, Mt. Juliet Church of Christ, Pinnacle National Bank, Providence United Methodist Church, Publix Supermarket Charities, SunTrust Bank, and the Tennessee Housing Development Agency.

Local businesses providing donations-in-kind of materials and/or labor include Bentley’s Heating and Air Conditioning, Wallboard and Supply Company, Absolute Rental, Advance Signs, and LOJAC.

“We actually began discussions about the 50^th house in 2008. >We’ve given a lot of time and effort to prepare for this house. To finally get started on it is rewarding,” stated Tory Tredway, Habitat’s Executive Director. “We’re proud of Nicole! We’re thankful to be able to provide an asset for her and her children that will benefit them for many years to come,” he added.

Tredway also indicated the there are still sponsorship opportunities for the 50^th house. Local businesses, churches, or groups can contribute financially to the house and provide labor or materials as donations-in-kind. To learn about those opportunities, contact Tredway at 453-4539 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .