Fox Valley Habitat ready to hand over house in Aurora

An Aurora family will get an early Christmas present - a new home. Fox Valley Habitat for Humanity of Aurora volunteers will dedicate their 41st volunteer-built home at 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 20, at 637 Ward St. in Aurora.

The public is invited. The Rev. Jeff Barrett, executive director of Fox Valley Habitat, a Christian housing ministry, will lead a brief ceremony.

The future homeowners, Lynette Christian, Bryant Fowler, and their daughter, Savannah, 14, of Aurora, will receive a family Bible and keys to the house during the ceremony.

Also, representatives of the project sponsors, Thrivent Financial for Lutherans and Good Shepherd Lutheran Church of Naperville, will participate.

An open house and refreshments will close the celebration.

Thrivent Financial has pledged $100,000 to the project. West suburban Lutheran churches are expected to donate $15,000.

More than 100 volunteers have worked Thursdays and Saturdays on the home since Sept. 14. Additionally, volunteers are completing construction of two other Habitat houses, one each in Aurora and Montgomery.

The Christian-Fowler home is the fifth Fox Valley Habitat home sponsored by Thrivent Financial since 2005. Prior projects, worth a combined $400,000, are at 27 N. Webster St. and at 119 N. Sumner St. in Aurora, and at 1318 Pearl St. in Montgomery.

Inga Theeke of Batavia, Thrivent director of member engagement for the Chicagoland region, said, "The Chicagoland Region of Thrivent Financial for Lutherans is thrilled to support the fifth Thrivent Builds with Fox Valley Habitat house since 2005.

"The alliance between our organizations has exceeded all of our expectations. Fox Valley Habitat has built more homes faster and Thrivent members and Lutheran congregations have stepped up to support the additional volunteer and fundraising needed.

"It has been an honor to facilitate the growth of both of our organizations through the Thrivent Builds program," Theeke said.

She added that Thrivent uses a regional model to encourage 500 Lutheran congregations throughout Chicago area to financially support nine Thrivent Builds Homes projects.

Congregations that have been key supporters of builds with Fox Valley Habitat include Good Shepherd in Naperville, Trinity in Warrenville, and St Mark's in Aurora.

Each Lutheran congregation is asked to help identify a "champion" to be the liaison between Thrivent Builds projects and their congregation.

Chuck Rhodes of Naperville is the Thrivent Builds Champion for Good Shepherd Lutheran in Naperville. His role was to organize volunteer teams and fundraisers and to keep the church updated on project status.

Barrett will introduced the future homeowner family. Christian is a cook for a day care center and a part-time laundromat employee. Fowler works with a company that cleans houses after people move. Their daughter Savannah is a freshman at East Aurora. The family currently resides in a rental house.

Barrett said, "The Christian-Fowler family is excited to have a home of their own. They want to own their home and improve their living conditions.

"Owning a home is important to them; they want to feel a sense of ownership about where they live. After years of renting, they want to pay a mortgage instead of a rent payment.

"They have been working on getting their lives and faith right, and they want to be happy in their own home," Barrett said.

Founded in 1989, Fox Valley Habitat for Humanity is an Aurora-based ecumenical Christian ministry that welcomes to its work all people dedicated to the cause of eliminating poverty housing. Fox Valley Habitat has built 39 houses in Aurora and Montgomery, providing simple, decent and affordable shelter for more than 150 people. For information, call (630) 859-3333 or visit www.foxvalleyhabitat.org.