News & Events

A blueprint for the future

The Grundy-Three Rivers Habitat for Humanity Chapter has big plans for the future, including building more homes and recruiting more volunteers. With the help of an area business, those plans are coming together.

A local Grundy County company, Akzo Nobel, one of the world’s leading suppliers of surfactants, made a generous contribution to the chapter to help finish its seventh home, now underway near Braceville.

Employees from Akzo Nobel in Morris also supplied volunteer labor to help work on the home. The $11,000 donation covered the cost of electrical supplies, insulation, drywall, cabinets, countertops, interior doors and trim, and lighting. The total cost of the home is expected to be about $70,000 after volunteer labor and donated or discounted materials.

The current home is the second of two homes that were built on two lots purchased in 2008. The properties are located in unincorporated Grundy County between Coal City and Braceville in a small community known by many natives of the area as Central City. Donations are still needed to cover the cost of the septic system and well for the home, which is being built  for a single mother and her two boys, one of whom has special needs.

All Habitat families are required to invest at least 400 hours of “sweat equity” per family to build the home.  The family will purchase the home with a down payment and no interest mortgage.

“If all goes well, and the weather cooperates, we should complete the home in early spring,” said John Latimer, President of Grundy-Three Rivers Habitat for Humanity.

Recruiting corporate partners like Akzo Nobel is just one goal of Grundy-Three Rivers Habitat for Humanity, which creates affordable housing opportunities for low income families in Grundy County.

Several members of its board of directors attended the Habitat for Humanity of Illinois Conference in Champaign last month. 

Filled with new ideas and enthusiasm, they returned home to launch a new Web site, www.grundy3rivershabitat.org, which features links to become a construction or committee volunteer, make a donation, or become a Habitat homeowner and Partner family.

The local Habitat for Humanity’s biggest challenge has always been finding suitable and affordable land for building their homes. They have been working with both the Grundy County Board and the City of Morris for some time in trying to acquire some of the old Federal Papermill property on the east side of Morris. It appears that all of the hard work  will finally come to fruition as the Morris City Council recently voted to sell several lots to Grundy-Three Rivers Habitat for Humanity.

“I want to thank Grundy County Board Chairman, Frank Halpin, as well as Greg Redford and the other Board members who worked with Habitat for Humanity and the City of Morris in getting this done. Mayor Kopczick has also worked diligently over the past year and put up with my persistent inquiries about the property,” Latimer said. “It has been a dream of mine for several years to be able to acquire some of this property. Because of this, we can now build several more, much needed, homes for families in our community that would never realize home ownership otherwise.” 

“At the same time, the city will be cleaning up a real eyesore and will be getting this property back on the tax rolls. It’s a win-win for everyone.”      

Habitat for Humanity is a non-profit Christian housing organization dedicated to eliminating poverty housing. Grundy-Three Rivers Habitat for Humanity was founded in 1996 by the late Randy Hancock.