With over 70 people in attendance, including past and future Habitat homeowners, the Crawfords' extended family, our Interfaith Coalition members, and numerous volunteers, the Crawfords were enthusiastically welcomed into their new home. Despite the heat, all in attendance enjoyed hot dogs, cookies, lemonade, and Kona Ice, as we celebrated this amazing day in the life of the Crawford Family!

Levatta Crawford, as well as all five of her children, spoke during the ceremony to thank the volunteers and Habitat staff for everything. Katlyn Crawford, the eldest of the kids, was old enough to work on the build site, and she shared that "The building of this home did really impact me because now I know what I want to be in the future. I want to be an architect!"

We were honored to have City of Denton Mayor Gerard Hudspeth and District 1 Council Member Vicki Byrd in attendance. Mayor Hudspeth graciously spoke on the issue of affordable housing in Denton and Habitat's important role in contributing to the solution. As a fellow resident of Southeast Denton, Mayor Hudspeth gave the Crawfords a warm "welcome to the neighborhood!" The Denton Quilt Guild blessed the family by donating a beautiful handmade quilt that was presented during the ceremony, and Pastor Tyrone Nash, the Crawford Family's pastor, presented Levatta with a Bible and led the crowd in the prayers of blessing over of the home.

This home was built as part of Habitat's "Interfaith Build," a way to bring people together of different backgrounds and faiths to put aside differences, build a home, and celebrate inclusion and diversity within our community. Over 200 volunteers helped build this home through our Interfaith Coalition made up of ten faith organizations in Denton County: Baha'i Faith Center of Flower Mound, Creekwood Christian Church, Faith Lutheran Church, Flower Mound United Methodist Church, Islamic Association of Lewisville-Flower Mound, Mt. Calvary Baptist Church, St. Andrew Presbyterian Church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, The Village Church, and Trietsch Memorial United Methodist Church.

The build was led by site leader and long-time volunteer, Bill Stewart, along with our amazing "Build Committee" volunteers. And, as part of her partnership with Habitat, Levatta Crawford invested more than 300 hours of her own labor, called "sweat equity," into the building of her home.

Levatta Crawford and her five children now have a safe and affordable place to finally call "home." Thank you to all involved for the hard work and love poured into the building of this home!

The Starbucks at Rayzor Ranch in Denton has donated hundreds of dollars worth of coffee and treats to Habitat for Humanity of Denton County over the last two years! In 2020, the Starbucks manager visited our office to offer their goods and services whenever we needed it, and they've held fast to that offer ever since. We have enjoyed Starbucks coffee at every monthly staff meeting, early morning ceremonies, and occasionally even at the build site. Thank you, Starbucks at Rayzor Ranch!

Meet one of the ReStore's amazing Cashiers: Christene Burdette! Christene has worked at the ReStore since April of this year and enjoys the fun and laid-back atmosphere that our team radiates. She had been a long-time customer to the ReStore when she decided to leave retirement to work with us - and we're so glad she did! In her role, Christene loves meeting new customers, seeing new unique donations every day on the sales floor, and assisting with store design. She says that Habitat's values align perfectly with her own, making it a joy to work on the ReStore team where everyone has the same mission. Come say "hi" to Christene at the ReStore today!

The ReStore has new store hours: 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM on Tuesday - Saturday at 1805 Cornell Lane, Denton, TX 76201.

Save the date for the Champions Rotary Club's First Annual Golf Tournament benefiting Habitat for Humanity of Denton County on Friday, September 23, 2022 at Dallas/Fort Worth Marriott Hotel and Golf Club at Champions. Registration begins at 8:00 AM with shot gun at 9:00 AM, and breakfast and lunch will be provided. Sponsorship opportunities are available here. More details to come!

We are raising funds to develop 8 acres of vacant land in Southeast Denton and establish a new "Habitat Village" housing development on the property. As many as 35 new affordable homes will be built alongside local families in need via this development. This project involves developing the infrastructure of this neighborhood, including the streets, sidewalks, utilities, proper drainage requirements, and everything else needed to support a neighborhood of 35 homes.

The majority of our funds are raised by local individuals and local organizations, so we are relying on YOUR continued support to carry us forward. Would you consider making a gift to the Habitat Village today?

Turn your old car into cash by donating it to Habitat for Humanity. We'll put the proceeds toward affordable housing in YOUR community! Vehicles do not have to be running, but they must be whole and have four inflated tires so they can be moved by our towing operators. If you're looking to support Habitat for Humanity of Denton County, this is a great way to do so.

Are you a federal employee? You can give to Habitat for Humanity of Denton County through the 2022 Combined Federal Campaign. Donate today at GiveCFC.org using our 5-digit CFC code #34623.