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Photo By Jymi Bolden
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Habitat's work with Shawn Jones has impacted his
family as well as Habitat volunteers.
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Later this year Habitat for Humanity plans to finish its 100th house in Cincinnati. But numbers do little to tell the impact the group has had. For that, visit the home of Shawn Jones and his two sons.
Or visit the West End neighborhood where they used to live, near the corner of Linn and York streets. In June, a man was shot in the head while sitting in a car in front of Jones' former home. Last week a drive-by shooting occurred at the same location.
Jones and his sons -- Rashawn, 14, and Shantel, 12 -- weren't there for either tragedy. They moved into their new Habitat house in O'Bryonville in December 2002.
"We're truly blessed to be out of the mouth of the beast," Jones says. "Where we used to live, all the boys saw was drug activity and gang violence. I was so grateful to get the opportunity to show them there's another life out there besides that."
Habitat for Humanity selected the family from more than 250 applicants on file. Jones, a broker service representative for Fifth Third Bank, says he dreamed of home ownership but never believed he could afford it until he received a call from Habitat.
"I was totally surprised," he says. "I jumped up and down. I just couldn't believe I was going to be a homeowner."
In order to qualify for a Habitat home, applicants must show a housing need, prove the ability to repay a mortgage and invest 500 hours of "sweat equity" in the project, according to Tim Sheehan, development director. The organization acts as the bank and the builder, offering homeowners interest-free mortgages for 20 to 30 years.
The house Jones helped build was unique because a single company, the Aveda-Fredric's Corp., not only donated $56,000 for full sponsorship but also built the entire home using only its own employees.
"There's a real special bond that has grown between Shawn Jones, his two sons and the employees and family and students of the Fredric's Co.," Sheehan says. "They all learned so much from each other. It was truly amazing."
Aveda-Fredric's employees, including CEO Frederic Holzberger and students from its beauty school, participated in the project.
"You don't have to be an engineer to help build a house, just a worker who's willing to listen and learn," says Kelly Collison, the company's environmental guardian. "It shows that even one person's contribution can help change lives."
Collison says she found the experience cathartic on a number of levels, especially when she drove the father of two from the construction site to his former home.
"Just down the street you could see drug deals taking place and police cars camped out," Collison says. "It looked like a war zone. When Shawn got out of the car, I felt so over-privileged, I cried all the way home. I've never even had to think about the things he and his boys were experiencing every day."
While Jones says it was difficult leaving friends from his former neighborhood, he says he was ready for the change.
"I love my new neighborhood," he says. "My sons love the new school they go to, they love the friends that they have. It's a more peaceful environment."
Close relationships such as the one formed between Jones, Aveda-Fredric's Corp. and Habitat are common, according to Sheehan. Out of the 97 houses built during the past 16 years, only one family has chosen to relocate. Sheehan says the long-term commitment between the parties is the key to success.
Habitat for Humanity's 100th house in Cincinnati, scheduled to be complete by November, represents an important milestone, Sheehan says.
"The largest amount of the production of the 100 houses has taken place over the last three or four years," he says. "We've really stepped it up, and last year we completed 17 homes across Cincinnati."
Sheehan says he hopes to see 25-27 houses built per year by 2005.
However, even with well-laid plans, the future holds some uncertainties. Sheehan says the decline in the economy has sponsorship slightly down from last year. Like other developers, Habitat faces the constant challenge of keeping construction costs low.
To meet the growing need for housing and diminishing amount of land, the organization plans to branch into rehabbing existing homes. Sheehan says Habitat has already started recruiting volunteers who specialize in those types of projects.
While finding sponsorship money presents a challenge, Sheehan says the organization has no trouble finding volunteers.
"Folks call here on a daily basis wanting to volunteer a Saturday or two," he says. "It's a very tangible good feeling, even though you're dirty, hot, sweaty or freezing. You can stand back at the end of the day and look and see what you've done. It's a project people can wrap their arms around and go back years later and see the house is still there."
For more information on Cincinnati Habitat for Humanity, call 513-621-4147 or visit www.cincinnati-habitat.org.
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