We like to take time in our newsletters to introduce you to the incredible people who make Habitat a success. This includes our dedicated volunteers, our generous supporters and our hardworking future homeowners. But we often fail to recognize those working behind the scenes – our staff members! Today, we want to introduce you to these team members because, although they are employees at Habitat, they are also passionate about our work. This group of individuals is much more than a bunch of people punching a clock – we are family. We are thankful for the many volunteers who are also part of our Habitat family and continuously cheer us on. Recently, at our Board of Directors meeting, one of our Directors (who is also a ReStore volunteer) said he leaves the ReStore every day in pain from laughing so hard. He went on to say that he’s never been a part of such a hardworking team that also has a great time and supports each other like Habitat. I have to second his sentiments – this staff team holds much of the responsibility for the success of the past year that included doubling our annual fundraising event goals and increasing our ReStore net income over 30%. They are also the kind of colleagues who will go out of their way to help each other. In the current climate with so many businesses suffering from a lack of employees, we have lost none – and we are aware that it is because of much more than a paycheck. We asked our team to interview each other and give us a little information about this A-Team!
Krystal Allen (Assistant Manager/Volunteer Coordinator) Krystal is a fan of Hip/Hop and Rap music finding that music creates a “feel good” vibe for her. She likes to travel and wants to visit Israel as part of her bucket list. Her daughter inspires her to get out of bed every day. Krystal likes setting goals and then achieving them, which she finds motivating. Her favorite food is spaghetti. She prefers homemade and to eat it again as leftovers!
Christy Brewster (Volunteer & Home Services Coordinator) Christy was born and raised in the Great Northwest, Lewis County, Washington State, near the Mount St. Helen volcano. Christy met her husband, a military man, while she was in college. Christy and Stefan married and traveled from Colorado to North Carolina, back to Colorado. While Stephan was deployed in Germany, Christy was able to spend time in 17 different countries. The couple has four children: son Orion is 15, daughter Danika is 14, Ryder is 11, and youngest daughter Aspen is 8. Christy has great admiration for chimpanzees and the work of Jane Goodall. She would like to go to South Africa one day to study the chimps in their natural habitat. For now, we are grateful that she is in managing our construction volunteers and homeowners.
Adam Cook (Construction Supervisor) Adam worked in construction before coming to Habitat. He likes working with others and he likes to work hard. Adam and his wife, Micha, have five children ranging in age from 16 to 5 months. Adam teaches at North Moore, leading students to engage in building trades.
Richard Ford (Construction Assistant) Rick especially enjoys building and helping older homeowners age in place, which is an important part of our repair ministry. The father of four girls and one boy (who range in age from 35 – 45), Rick is now single. He came to Habitat after working in construction, insurance restoration and painting.
Amie Fraley (Executive Director)
Born in Brookville, Ohio, Amie and her husband Chris migrated to NC in 2000. Their four children are ages 13, 15, 17 and 19. Amie’s parents live in Pinehurst so grandparents are nearby. Amie has a finance background and worked in public accounting (she conducted the first audit of Moore County’s first charter school which is now called The Academy of Moore County) and got to audit our own Janet Lowry! She worked in fundraising for the American Cancer Society for three years. As a Habitat volunteer, Amie taught prospective homeowners how to maintain and/or improve their credit scores. She served on the Habitat Board and as the Finance Department before becoming Executive Director. For fun, she likes camping, running, golf, podcasts and reading. She especially likes the Habitat model because, as she says, “Everyone has skin in the game. All partner to build community.”
Barbara Frohock (Finance Assistant) Barb and husband John came to play golf in the area in 2002. They traveled back and forth to Michigan until deciding to retire here in 2012. Along with golf, Barb enjoys reading, playing games on her phone and loving her dog, Sabrina. Gary Popson was a friend and long time Re-Store volunteer. When he heard that Amie was seeking a finance volunteer, he knew Barb would be a perfect fit. Barb has recently joined the staff, and we refer to her as the “Finance Wizard”
Alex Goins (Donation Ambassador) Originally from Pinehurst, Alex worked with textiles before coming here. He likes motorcycles, four-wheelers, and trying to make money. He says his friends were working here and had funny stories about this place and how we are like a big dysfunctional family so it seemed like a good place for him to work.
Christopher Heine (Donation Ambassador) Chris was born in New Jersey.
He previously worked for the Salvation Army and at Aarons. He enjoys fishing and kayaking. When he moved to NC and saw the Habitat ad, he applied because he likes working for a company that helps people. He likes the people he works with. Chris is a great male role model for his niece.
Danielle Heine (Donor Coordinator/Merchandising) Danielle was born in New Jersey and lived in Florida before moving here. Her brother, Chris, brought her to the ReStore. She had worked as a multiskilled medical technologist and at Foxfire General as a clerk. Danielle enjoys walking, listening to music, and her fish tanks. She has a beautiful daughter, Rylee who is 2 ½. Danielle says Rylee is outgoing but can be shy.
Darren Howell (Donation Ambassador) Born in Jacksonville, Florida, Darren now lives in Pinebluff. His hobbies include anything sports. Before he worked here, Darren overcame serious depression through rehabilitation. He says dumb luck brought him to the ReStore in 2017. He especially likes the people at Habitat and all the guys in the back. Darren likes the “family feel” here. Darren is our Drew Carey look alike. He brings a trivia quiz question to our weekly staff zoom meetings.
Azaria Jones (Donation Ambassador) From Taylortown, this junior at Pine Crest High School is a young woman who likes competition and perfection. She is a cheerleader in the eleventh grade. She likes watching school basketball and “doing” nails. A leader, Azaria hopes to become an nurse.
Dondi Jones (ReStore Director) Dondi came to work at Habitat in September, 2007. He had previously worked as a groundskeeper at a golf course and as a lineman for an electric company which he said was the worst job he ever had.
Dondi recommends the movie “Fatherhood” which is about a single father raising his daughter after the mother passes away soon after the child’s birth. It touched him because he lived that when the mother of his oldest daughter died when the baby was about three months old. Realizing that he had to raise that baby, who is now 17, was a defining moment in his life. Dondi says his moment of fame came when he was on the news with the sale of a 26 ft. sailboat in the ReStore. The best advice he ever heard was to treat people the way you would like to be treated.
Edward Kaylor (Construction Manager) Ed grew up in the small farming town of Ramsey, West Virginia, feeding animals (goats, sheep, turkeys, and chickens), moving hay bales, and cutting wood for heat in winter. In his free time, he liked fishing on the Gauley River. In 2001 he graduated from Marshall University with an Economics Degree in Business Administration. He began volunteering in 1997 with Habitat in Marshall’s Campus Chapter. Ed began working with Moore County Habitat in 2006, the same year he and Jennifer married. She began teaching Kindergarten in Hoke County. He left the Sandhills in 2009 and returned 2017. He and Jennifer have a beautiful ten-year-old daughter, Adella. Ed says, “The best part of my job is Habitat staff, hardcores, volunteers, and families served. Staff is always great, hardcores and families keep me running, volunteers keep me learning and completing tasks from the beginning of the process to the day the family moves into their new home.”
Stacy Lebak (Marketing and Communications Manager) Stacy, who has been with Habitat for almost 5 years brings more than 30 years of graphic and marketing experience. She is a Kiwanis board member, a member of the Pinehurst Rotary Club, and avid gardener. Having a geological surveyor for a father brought a childhood full of adventure, calling over 30 states home for her first seven years. Eventually, her family returned to the DC area. Stacy spent her early adult life pursuing a fine arts degree, while playing guitar, singing and song writing. Stacy and her husband, now deceased, met in her early 20's while working her way up the restaurant ranks from hostess, to a server, to office manager, to F&B Controller at one of DC’s premier hotels. In her 30's she left the hospitality industry to go back to school for graphic design and marketing, starting a whole new career. Her husband sold their restaurant in Alexandria, semi-retired, and in 2013 they moved to Pinehurst to be closer to her parents.
Dennis Lee (Donation Ambassador) Dennis, who is from Raeford, has spent many years in Fayetteville. He has worked at Sonic, sold knives and was a football coach at Fayetteville Christian Academy before coming to the ReStore. Dennis has an Associate Degree from SCC and is attending school for social work at UNC Pembroke hoping to graduate this fall. Dennis enjoys all the people here: coworkers and shoppers.
Janet Lowry (Homeowner/Donor Relations) Janet was born in Hamburg, Iowa, and grew up in Yorktown, Va. She taught science in the high school from which she had graduated. She also taught and was a school administrator in Wake County, NC. Her son Scott lives in Williamsburg, Va.; her son Todd lives in Cary. Janet started volunteering at Habitat almost 30 years ago and liked construction (except getting on roofs). She joined the Family Selection Committee and, eventually, as chair of that committee became a member of the Habitat Board. Today, she works part-time with homeowners and their mortgages; records donations and sends letters or receipts to donors; and manages Janet’s Art and Collectibles in the ReStore which she loves and which sold almost $7,000 in June to build homes.
Keith Matz (Construction Supervisor) After 27 years in military aviation and owning his own business, Keith came to us in 2017. He and his wife Terry have two children ages 24 and 30. Keith has a degree in aeronautics. He enjoys working with our volunteers and is an excellent instructor for homeowners in progress and other volunteers.
Corey McKnight (Donation Ambassador) Corey was originally from South Carolina but has been in NC for about 20 years. Before working here, he was a youth sports coach, mentor and correctional counselor. Corey enjoys traveling and being outdoors. He appreciates antique furniture. Habitat’s mission which helps people help themselves appeals to him.
Lawrence Murchison (ReStore Manager) Born in Chapel Hill, Lawrence grew up in Moore County. He has been working at the ReStore for over 4 years. Before that, he was a machine operator at Gulistan Carpet. His wife is a lead at Inglesoll Rand. They have 2 sons, 9 grandchildren, and 4 great-grandchildren. Lawrence likes the uniqueness of each day in the ReStore with different merchandise, different volunteers, and different customers.
Mary Ortiz (Assistant Manager) Mary came to work at this affiliate about a year and a half ago after enjoying shopping here. She was born in Trenton, New Jersey. One of four children, the family spoke Spanish in their home and English outside. Mary likes to travel and saw a good bit of the world when she was in the Army for over 16 years where she worked in Human Resources. She was stationed at Ft. Bragg, Korea, Colorado, Quait, and Iraq. After she retired, the Defense Department hired her as the facility manager for the Ft. Bragg animal center. She is proud that she reduced the number of animals euthanized yearly from 1200 to 200. She enjoys working with the volunteers. Mary likes gardening, her pets (3 small dogs, 5 cats one which is hairless), and her grandbaby. Her oldest son and his wife are both in the Army. Her youngest son works at PJ Auto Care as car wash manager.
James Parsons (Aging in Place Coordinator) Originally from Pennsylvania, Jim traveled around the world with Uncle Sam. He worked as a commercial building project manager building speculative and custom-built homes. Jim and his wife have a daughter and two grandbabies. Jim likes to play the guitar and ride his motorcycle. When he saw this position advertised, he checked it out, and Farrah closed the deal.
He says, “All of the staff are great; all are focused on the same goal: making this affiliate the very best, giving 100% towards that goal, then passing on that greatness to assist the good folks in our community.”
Farrah Pulliam (Director of Programs) Born in Greensboro, Farrah is multitalented. Well trained in finance and construction, she holds a General Contractors License. The youngest of her three children, Reece will be 15 in September; and her older son and daughter are both in college.
Farrah’s favorite music is Rap & Hip Hop, but she also enjoys music of the 60’s, 70’s, and soul music. Farrah says her greatest achievement was surviving a separation, divorce, cancer and Covid all in one year. She suggests that we should live each day to the fullest, not focus too much on the future or on regretting the past. Her weaknesses are sweets and coffee according to her.
Tyler Reece (Donation Ambassador) Tyler is from Southern Pines. Before coming here he worked as a shoe salesman. Tyler likes drag racing and building race cars. He enjoys fishing, cooking and eating. Tyler says the work environment at the ReStore is like no other place to work.
Douglas Ross (Donation Ambassador) Doug is another Moore County native, Douglas is the father of a seven-month-old baby. He joined the ReStore team in April.
Nahjirr Seagraves (Donation Ambassador) This ambitious young man who is a junior at Pine Crest High School was born in Aberdeen. He is a football running back and runs many track events, including long jump, 110 hurdles, 4 x 100, 4 x 200, 200 meters, and 100 meters. In addition to sports, he likes puzzles and building with legos. He hopes to become an engineer.
Thomas White (Donation Ambassador) Thomas has spent most of his life in Southern Pines. Before coming to the ReStore in February of 2020, he worked for Golden Corral. He enjoys basketball and cards. He likes meeting new people.
Jacob Wibbens (Construction Supervisor) Before coming to Habitat, Jacob worked as a Project Engineer in structural concrete on high rises and stadiums. He has a girlfriend, Steffey, whom he met at Appalachian State University where he majored in Construction Management and Physics. He enjoys meeting new people daily and working with our incredible volunteers.