HOUSTON COUNTY, Ga. — Right off the busy street of Watson Boulevard is Orchard Way, where the Houston County Habitat For Humanity Revitalization Neighborhood sits.
Dozens of colorful houses sit next to one another, with every home on the street built for a single family.
"It often takes a lot of time, money and community support to get one home going," Director Bill Goggins said.
When the City of Warner Robins called Habitat to let them know three lots on Orchard Way were approved to build homes on, they didn't hesitate because "we have three wonderful families that really need a home!"
The City of Perry contacted Habitat to inform them a lot was approved for housing there too, so they went ahead on that project too.
Now, for the first time ever, Houston County Habitat For Humanity faces the challenge of building four different houses at once. Each dwelling is individually tailored to each family's needs based on the information collected during the application process.
Right now, 34 families live in the completed homes. Once this project's done on Orchard Way, there will be 37 homes in the revitalization neighborhood.
From extra storage with detached or attached sheds, to bathrooms accessible for wheelchairs.
Shannon Haskell from Houston County Habitat says their slogan this year is "Let's build together."
"It's more about creating than just a home," Haskell said. "A lot of these families, when they step in, we see they're no longer fighting for putting food on the table. They start to look at what are their own goals, a lot of them go off to college and start careers. Their kids start to do better in school, and they go off to college as well. That's the reason we do that."
That's also the idea behind the community partnerships. Goggins explained that nearly all four homes were close to completion, but volunteers can assist with a few final touches before each family moves in, which is currently scheduled for July.
"We're waiting on the final electrical set, cabinets, we finished the trim, we're in the painting stage, last thing would be landscaping and appliances, so we're getting ready to get toward the end," he said.
However, it's going to take you and community partners to help them finish the homes.
"We can always use more and more help from the community to keep the mission going," Goggins said.
If you're interested in becoming a community partner by volunteering and/or donating, you can visit hocohabitat.org for more information.
If you're a veteran who needs a home, Houston County Habitat For Humanity is still accepting veteran housing applications.