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Habitat for Humanity – “Home is the Key”

I vividly remember nearly two years ago Chris coming home exhausted but smiling from ear to ear. He had just finished a long day volunteering with Habitat for Humanity.  It was his first time, and he couldn’t wait to tell me all about his experience!  He wanted me to feel what he felt that day…and I remember wishing I hadn’t missed it and so badly wanting to feel it too! I didn’t quite get it then…but I definitely do now.  

With that said, meet Krushetta.  Krushetta is an Atlanta native, single mom of three young men and an 11 year volunteer for Habitat for Humanity.  

Last year, Krushetta made the decision to apply for a home of her own through Habitat for Humanity, never really believing she’d qualify.  Little did she know she’d be selected as a 2019 “Home is the Key” recipient. Habitat’s Home is the Key campaign aims to demonstrate how a decent, afforable home creates a better life for families and individuals.

(Check out Krushetta’s story!)

Krushetta’s house was on schedule to be built in eight days…EIGHT DAYS!!! How you ask?!?  Well, that’s where all the sponsors came in.   Habitat for Humanity’s Home is the Key campaign partnered up with some amazing sponsors and each were given a build day. O-Cedar, Chicos, the At Home Store, Nissan and Nest all contributed to making Krushetta and her family’s dream come true.

When Chris and I were contacted about the opportunity to partner with Nest and to participate with their build day, both of us jumped at the chance!  Chris had such a great time volunteering years prior and always wanted to volunteer again, and I was excited for the experience I had missed! We loved the fact that Nest was contributing $250,000 to the 2019 Home is the Key campaign, and that every home built for this campaign would also get a Nest Smart Thermostat installed providing energy saving technology to new homeowners.

(See how easy it is to install a Nest Thermostat w/the Nest team & HGTV’s Chip Wade.)

Energy savings is super important today as 1 in 6 families spend half or more of their income on their rent or mortgage, making it very difficult to have the means to then maintain the up keep of that home. Especially the utilities!

On our build day, we showed up bright and early around 7:30am.  We could feel the excitement in the air!  We were greeted by numerous smiling faces of other volunteers from around the country and the world ready to get the work day started and ready to get Krushetta one step closer to moving into her new home!  We were handed Habitat shirts, tool belts and hard hats and given our assignments for the day. 

That day, we would be installing cabinets, fixtures and soffits, finishing the build out of the front porch, painting the entire exterior of the home, and helping with different finishings around the interior of the home.  Accustom to hearing pneumatic tools, it was a shock to me when I was handed a paint brush and told to start on the corners of the exterior of the house! I instantly wondered how we would get all of this done in one day.  It’s amazing what a group of people can accomplish when they work hard and have a common goal in mind.  

While painting, I starting talking to another woman hard at work next to me. I asked her if she was volunteering through Nest too and she just chuckled and said “Nope…I’m  Krushetta…this is my home!” I have to be honest….I was totally surprised and impressed! I had heard she would be at the worksite to speak to everyone about her journey during lunch, but I never expected to see her working on her own home and was even more surprised to hear she had been at every build day working since day one! 

As the day came to a close, I had to force Chris to put his hammer down! Chris and I found ourselves being the last volunteers to leave along with Krushetta. Exhausted, hot and sweaty but smiling from ear to ear, we handed in our tool belts to the project lead.  We took a look back at the house and could see the fruits of our labor. Needless to say the results were humbling, astonishing and fulfilling all at the same time! 

On the 7th day (As if this was the book of Genesis), Chris and I returned to the build-site to assist with the finishing touches and to witness Habitat officially hand over the keys to Krushetta. What an awesome day!! All sponsors were onsite along with Krushetta’s extended family.

(Check out the dedication ceremony.)

As Chris and I stood there proud and ecstatic for the entire family, we couldn’t help but think of the countless other deserving Americans who could use this love in their life. Now I understand why Chris was so excited coming from his first build two years ago and so eager to get back to help with the next! When a person becomes a part of this organization, you quickly realize that #homeisthekey.  Yes this was my first time working with Habitat for Humanity…but it definitely will not be our last!

~Here’s how you too can spread some community KARMA with Habitat for Humanity~ 

Visit or Shop to Support:

People can support Habitat for Humanity in three simple ways this April:

o Chico’s FAS: Donate in-store or online at any of the Chico’s FAS brands mentioned below:

  • ▪  Chico’s: Every sale of a signature Slub Tee Shirt from April 1 – May 31 will support Habitat, as well as $5 from the sale of each gift card over $25 in value, up to $100,000.
  • ▪  White House Black Market: From April 1 – May 31, White House Black Market will donate $5 from the sale of each gift card over $25 in value, up to $50,000.
  • ▪  Soma Intimates: From April 1 – May 31, Soma will donate $5 from the sale of each gift card over $25 in value, up to $50,000.

o At Home: In addition to featuring Habitat as the register fundraising partner throughout April, At Home will donate $4.55 per coaster from the sale of select coaster sets that give back to Habitat, beginning in April until supplies last.

o O-Cedar: O-Cedar will donate $1 to Habitat for Humanity for every ProMist MAX Microfiber Spray Mop sold by O-Cedar to any U.S. retail channel in the U.S. from April 1 to June 15.

Share:
o Nissan will donate $5 every time #HomeIsTheKey is shared on social media in April.

HGTV and iHeart have also joined forces with Habitat for Humanity to help spread the word!

Creatively Yours…

This is a sponsored post on behalf of Habitat for Humanity’s Home is the Key campaign & its corporate partners.  This effort will call national attention to the need for affordable housing in the U.S. Because we believe so strongly in their purpose and what they stand for, we are very excited to be a part of this campaign!

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