Volunteers christen 41st Habitat house

Dozens of volunteers and owners of homes built by the Fox Valley Habitat for Humanity gathered Sunday to christen the completion of the group's 41st home.

By the end of this week, the modest four-bedroom home on West Park Avenue in Aurora will belong to Roy Brown and his four children.

"As you can see, this is a new beginning, a new life and a fresh new start for me and my family," Brown said while choking up. "I just wanted to say thank you."

The group purchased the property in September and spent about four months building the home. More than 350 people were involved in the construction, said Jeffrey Barrett, executive director of the group. Among the volunteers were members of several area churches, including Rejoice Lutheran Church of Geneva, Congregational Church of Batavia and Wesley Methodist Church in Naperville.

"There were a lot of folks who worked on this house," Barrett said. "Without them we were lost. They're the people who make this group go."

Brown himself has worked on previous building projects for Habitat for Humanity, and at least two homeowners who have benefitted from the group were also in attendance at Sunday's christening.

"We don't do this for the glory but for the glory of God," said John Guiffre, president of the Habitat group. "This is our version of (television show "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition"), but we don't do it in a week."