DAVIS JUNCTION — On Saturday, Oct. 26, Habitat for Humanity of Ogle County hosted a groundbreaking ceremony for its next new home build at 117 Prairie Moon Drive in Davis Junction.
The home will be Habitat’s 15th in the county since 2002, and will be its first build in Davis Junction. The home will be built primarily by Habitat construction volunteers and board members, and will help a partner family achieve the dream of homeownership. The plans, on display on Oct. 26, call for an 1,100 square foot three-bedroom ranch home.
“The lot was generously donated by the Village of Davis Junction and we're really fortunate on that,” Habitat Executive Director Sheri Anspaugh said. “We have chosen our family. The mother is a woman named Kimberly and she has two daughters, one is a freshman and one is in eighth grade. They're over the moon with excitement about the opportunity to be homeowners. They'll help build the house with sweat equity and they'll carry a mortgage and it'll be affordable. We had a great turnout for the groundbreaking.”
Anspaugh thanked her board members that aided in selecting the partner family. The process involved the consideration of 11 applications.
The build will begin in spring of 2025 and Anspaugh said the timeline will depend on weather, supply chain conditions, and some of the project’s contractors. Habitat’s last build in Rochelle took 10 months.
“We don't have an exact timeline,” Anspaugh said. “We have to work at our volunteers' pace. I know they're really anxious to get the family in there.”
Sponsored/decorated studs from Habitat’s new Stud-a-thon fundraiser for the project were on display at the groundbreaking. Stud-a-thon is an opportunity for businesses, families, clubs, etc. to sponsor a stud for the home. Sponsors can make their own personal mark on the home by painting their stud, putting a logo on it, or writing messages to the family. Stud sponsorships start at $200 for one stud, $500 for three, or $1,000 for six. Sponsors will be invited to a “Stud-Finder” event once the home is framed, so they can see where their stud has been placed in the home.
The promotion has raised over $10,000 in the past year for the build. Studs are still available for purchase and participation, Anspaugh said. Those interested in studs or volunteering on the project or donating to it can contact Habitat at 815-222-8869 or sheri.anspaugh45@outlook.com.
“The cost of building materials is high and we have to plan for that,” Anspaugh said. “We'd love to have more stud sponsors. It was a neat visual at the groundbreaking to see what it looks like. It's just been so fantastic to see the community come together. The Ogle County community is always very supportive of Habitat for Humanity and we appreciate that. The stud-a-thon fundraiser is a tangible way to be part of the home and I think it's fun for businesses and families to be able to drive by the home and know they have a piece of it and helped build it with their donation. It's a real concrete way to support the community.”
Many community organizations, businesses and individuals have donated to the build as well as to Habitat for Humanity of Ogle County’s many Brush with Kindness projects (critical home repairs) for the year. Major donors for this year’s housing programs include the Village of Davis Junction (lot donation), the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois, Rochelle Area Community Foundation, the Blazer Foundation, CHS, Woodward Foundation and Etnyre Foundation.
Anspaugh called the support that donors and volunteers give to Habitat’s mission “incredible.” A lot of Habitat’s board members and construction volunteers work full-time jobs and have busy family lives and still put in long hours on Habitat projects.
“It's a working board and they put in many hours,” Anspaugh said. “The home repairs we do and the new homes wouldn't happen without these selfless people who care about others. They're the lifeblood of everything we do and it wouldn't happen without them.”
Breaking ground on the new home was an emotional affair for the partner family and those involved with Habitat, Anspaugh said.
“Our partner family was emotional and excited and it hit all of us as well,” Anspaugh said. “Hearing one of the daughters talk about where the Christmas lights are going to go on the house and how they're going to decorate it and just knowing the joy of homeownership that many of us take for granted, it really does get emotional in a great way. It makes you realize how important our work is.”
