Aurora Habitat for Humanity to dedicate 56th home Saturday

Fox Valley Habitat for Humanity will dedicate its 56th Aurora-area home at 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 10, at 609 N. Elmwood Drive in Aurora. The public is invited. The ceremony will unveil the future home of Aurora residents Zemuy and Gabriala Zeray, son Nahom and grandmother Tsgehana.

The dedication program will open with a welcome and invocation. After a scripture reading, the Zeray family will be introduced, a group litany will be read and Habitat executive director Rev. Jeff Barrett will present a family Bible to the Zerays.

After donors and supporters are recognized, the Zerays will receive keys to their new home. A closing prayer will conclude the program.

Refreshments and self-guided tours of the house will close the event.

The event will culminate renovation work begun earlier this year by hundreds of volunteers. Project sponsors were Illinois Attorney General, Kane County and Community Foundation of Fox River Valley, Aurora.

The 1,200-square-foot, three-bedroom, one-bath ranch house features a living room, kitchen, back deck, two-car detached garage and is handicapped accessible.

Key volunteer church and corporate groups who contributed volunteer labor on the project included Habitat homeowners, Community Christian Church, Naperville, East Aurora High School building trades students, Anixter, Aon, Boy Scout Troop 849, Community United Methodist Church, Naperville, Meadowvale, O'Cedar and T&T and Ultramar.

Volunteers and donations are needed to continue Habitat's housing ministry.

Founded in 1989, Fox Valley Habitat, 250 S. Highland Ave. in Aurora, partners with working families in Aurora, North Aurora and Montgomery to provide basic, affordable shelter.

Partner families pay for their homes with no-interest mortgages and contribute up to 500 hours of volunteer labor called sweat equity.

For more information, call (630) 859-3333, email info@foxvalleyhabitat.org, or visit foxvalleyhabitat.org.