Ground Broken On Habitat's 48th Habitat House

Members and friends of the Joe and Carol Martinez family joyfully and gratefully participated in a ground breaking ceremoney at 837 Clay Street recently. Construction on what will be Habitat's 48th house in Henderson will begin as soon as sufficient funds have been developed. Joe, Carol, daughter Carmella and sons Joey and Malichi have all contributed a total of more than 120 hours of sweat equity in building the new house for Eric and Casandra Bridges. Foundation work on the Martinez house hopefully will begin before Christmas. "It's a matter of having enough funds to pay for the materials," explained Bob Hicks, Habitat's Executive Director, "and in this present economy, donations have been slow to come in." Still, on faith, Habitat's mission will continue!

Apostles' Build Progress Continues on Inside

Soon to be Henderson Habitat's 47th homeowner/partner, Eric Bridges (top photo) puts in some sweat equity helping to paint what will be his and his wife, Casandra's, new home at 511 Plum Street. Carol Martinez (middle photo) helps Eric and Casandra with the painting. She and her family have contributed more than 120 hours of sweat equity on the Bridges house and are eager to start on the next Habitat house in Henderson which will be their own!

In the bottom photo, "Thursday Crew" member Bob "Dawg" Clum, an avid Georgia Bull Dog fan, struggles to get the UK blue on the walls in Eric's treatment room. He promised Eric, a fanatic Wildcat fan, that somewhere in the house a dawg print would be left as evidence of his help on the house.

Built and financed by eight local churches and Henderson's two Lions Clubs, the Apostle's Build house is progressing towards a pre-Thanksgiving completion and occupancy. Hope Eric finds that dawg's claw by then!

The Legacy of a Passion

Ken Middleton's passion was Habitat for Humanity: helping empower families to become homeowners of safe, decent shelter they could afford to call their own when they had no other opportunity because their income was at the lower end of the scale. One of the most endearing photos of Ken was taken in September, 2008, at the Ground Breaking ceremoney for the Habitat house now completed and occupied by the Shulisa Barrett family at 608 Letcher Street. Ken helped young O'Marion Barrett turn a shovel of dirt on the house that now provides him his own bedroom and a safe, warm home in which to grow up.

The former member of Henderson Habitat's Board of Directors and member of the "Thursday Crew" was remembered and honored Wednesday afternoon with the Board's naming of the Henderson Foundation benefitting Habitat in his memory.

Hostesses Honor Friend and Dedicated Volunteer

ReStore volunteers Lou Ann Clark and Joyce Davis, ReStore Manager Donna Phillips and Affiliate Resource Management Director Sarah Heath hosted a beautiful reception setting for Wednesday afternoon's naming of the Kenneth Middleton Foundation Benefitting Habitat for Humanity of Henderson, KY.

Foundation Named During Reception

During a reception held in Habitat's newly renovated offices at 325 South Green Street Wednesday afternoon, October 21st, Terry Emrick, President of the Board of Directors and Doug Bell, Campaign Committee Chairman, announced The Kenneth Middleton Foundation Benefitting Habitat for Humanity of Henderson, KY, to more than fifty guests. Interest income earned annually from the endowment fund will help build one more house in addition to those built by the Affiliate and funded by other means. Ken Middleton was a dedicated Habitat volunteer who served on local and state Habitat Boards of Directors. He was instrumental in initiating and managing Henderson Habitat's Aluminum Can Recycling project and opening and later relocating Habitat's ReStore. He helped start and was an active member of Henderson's "Thursday Crew" who form the core of the local Habitat construction program. Ken also helped initiate and fund the Affiliate's Foundation and endowment which was named in his memory by the Board of Directors at the reception.

Contributions to the Kenneth Middleton Foundation Benefitting Habitat for Humanity of Henderson, KY may be sent to P. O. Box 1071, Kenderson, KY 42419-1071