Habitat for Humanity of DeKalb County celebrates 25 years

SYCAMORE – At Habitat for Humanity of DeKalb County, staff, board members and volunteers know well the costs of homeownership and how important it is for people to build generational wealth.

Executive Director Kim McIver said she’s proud of the organization and its efforts to try to affect change.

“Habitat is a hand up, it’s not a handout,” McIver said. “Our partner families build alongside us. I feel that a Habitat home is a generational foundation pillar within a family. Because when kids grow up in a safe environment, then they take that with them through life. So, I think having a safe home is a basic necessity that everyone should have the same access to.”

In 2023, Habitat for Humanity is celebrating its 25th anniversary of serving DeKalb County and its residents.

Since its inception, the organization has helped 16 families attain homeownership and is preparing to assist its 17th.

Habitat for Humanity of DeKalb County board member Tricia Delwiche said that knowing Habitat for Humanity has been serving the community for 25 years means a great deal.

“It’s really exciting that we’re at this turning point,” Delwiche said. “We’re able to celebrate what we have accomplished and anticipate the changes that we’re going to be making because there’s a lot of new things that we’re undertaking.”

Habitat for Humanity of DeKalb County has been adding new programs to its offerings in the run-up to celebrating the organization’s milestone anniversary. Among those introduced was a financial literacy course, which was rolled out about a year ago.

Habitat is a hand up, it’s not a handout. Our partner families build alongside us. I feel that a Habitat home is a generational foundation pillar within a family. Because when kids grow up in a safe environment, then they take that with them through life.”

—  Kim McIver, executive director, Habitat for Humanity of DeKalb County

McIver said the course serves its purpose well: allowing individuals to understand the influence of their financial credit score and their financial health in order for them to become not only a Habitat for Humanity homeowner, but understand what it means to have healthy credit and an understanding of their overall finances.

Malta resident Michelle Ramey said she is glad she and her husband decided to become Habitat for Humanity homeowners after renting for as long as they had.

“One day, when I was just overwhelmed with the cost of rent and just stressed about not owning a house, my dad was like, ‘Have you ever applied for Habitat for Humanity?’ ” Ramey said. “That’s when I started looking into it.”

Michelle’s husband, Curtis Ramey, said he is appreciative of everything that Habitat for Humanity has done for he and his wife.

“We got lucky,” he said. “What they do really helps.”

McIver said Habitat for Humanity does its best to support area families, even as the organization has been faced with rising costs.

“We’ve seen quite an increase in the cost of not only the labor [but] the materials that we use,” McIver said. “That’s felt across the board at all the Habitats. We have great supporters that offer us discounted rates or do a gift in kind because they understand the importance of what we’re doing and also want to empower those partner families to know that we have solid partners that are behind this, as well.”

Delwiche said a newer initiative that Habitat for Humanity has undertaken offers incentives to builders, encouraging them to do more to construct more energy-efficient homes for the organization. She said the houses built for Habitat for Humanity are held to a standard of affordability and quality in line with the organization’s mission.

“We do a good job of keeping up with the times,” Delwiche said. “We recognize the value of having well-built houses that last, and I think that’s always been the case.”

Habitat for Humanity of DeKalb County operates with a lean staff. Delwiche said the organization may not be able to make everything happen without the support of generous volunteers.

Sycamore resident Gil Larimer said volunteering for Habitat for Humanity has made sense on many levels for him.

“It gave me a chance to play with my tools, but also, more importantly, form relationships with the members of the board, the volunteer group and the partner family group,” Larimer said. “We moved here after I retired. So it gave us a chance to get acquainted with people.”

Larimer said he first got involved as a volunteer with Habitat for Humanity in the late 1980s. He said he’s remained a Habitat for Humanity volunteer for as long as he has for several reasons.

“I believe in the mission: a hand up rather than a handout,” Larimer said. “Providing decent, affordable housing for people who otherwise may not be able to afford it just seemed like, as a retired clergyman, a way to extend my ministry.”

As Habit for Humanity of DeKalb County moves ahead in its 25th year and beyond, Delwiche said the organization remains committed to its mission.

“They can expect to hear [about] a lot more homes,” she said. “They can expect to have us involved in other things that they’ll be directly seeing, like building. They can expect to see us more involved in doing home repairs.”