A Christmas gift comes early, Sussex County Habitat for Humanity home dedication

Michelle Walker says, “Thank you for selecting me and my daughter.”

A Christmas gift came early for Millsboro pre-school teacher and single mother Michelle Walker Tuesday morning. Hands of her community blessed the walls of her new home.

Kevin Gilmore, the Sussex County Habitat for Humanity executive director says, “See Michelle we’re dedicating this dedication, this house, in the spirit of Christmas.”

Michelle says being selected for a Habitat Home was a blessing because her housing situation was becoming more difficult with rising rental costs and concerns over safety in her neighborhood.

It was in the fall of 2013 that she applied for her home. She was approved just over a year later in January 2015.

Michelle immediately started volunteering, helping others build their homes. She racked up the two- hundred and fifty sweat equity hours required by the program.

In July, dozens of volunteers and the Sussex County Habitat Chapter started working on Michelle’s home. They completed it in December. The three bedroom home in Ellendale is all for Michelle and her 15-year-old daughter Kirah. 

Michelle says, “We’re very excited to move in. It’s just the two of us I’m our little cramped apartment so we’re excited about having more space. She’s already got plans to turn her bedroom into the studio because she loves music.”

Kirah was happy to give 47 ABC a tour of her new space and where she plans to put her piano and other prized possessions. She loves all colors so her room is going to have a rainbow vibe.

Kirah says, “Well maybe the walls can stay white, but we can probably put curtains and stuff that are different colors.”

She can do pretty much whatever she wants, under mom’s supervision of course, because the house is theirs. Michelle will be paying a 30 year- no interest mortgage to fit her income. Habitat for Humanity likes to say their homes are “hand ups, not handouts.”  For Michelle, it’s a new start in time for a new year.

Michelle and her daughter will move in to their house on January 7th, occupying the one-hundred and fourth Habitat Home built in Sussex County since their inception in 1991.

Officials say a big part of the organization’s success is their volunteers. Folks don’t only help build homes, but can also work on repairs.  In Delaware, there’s a chapter located in every county. Gilmore says there’s a tremendous need. 

He continues, “Here in Sussex County alone there’s over four thousand families living in substandard conditions. We have an annual average of over fifteen hundred volunteers so yes we could always use more volunteers.”

For more information on Sussex County Habitat for Humanity, click here.