Habitat home opening

Sept 7, 2012

It was Jan. 5 when the first walls went up at Passion Harris’ new Habitat for Humanity Home and Saturday at 3 p.m. Passion and her family, her partners from Habitat and the community will celebrate the culmination of a lot of prayers, hard work and planning at her new home at the corner of 10th and Cedar streets.

Then administrative assistant at Gaston Elementary School, Passion said from the beginning it was faith that made this possible.

After seeing an ad in The Daily Herald saying Habitat for Humanity was taking applications, she decided to try for it and was approved.

“About two weeks later I got the approval letter,” Harris said in January. “I cried and shouted!”

Things started out a little rocky, according to Habitat contact person Rachel Lander. The town generously donated the lot at the corner of 10th and Cedar streets, then “our construction trailer was broken into only a few days after we got started. Someone decided they could help themselves to what was inside,” Lander said.

Project Manager Dave Apps said he was impressed with how much Passion wanted this project.

“She prayed like crazy for it,” he said, adding Passion had a godmother associated with the church that was working in the background and also called for prayers.

Lander said people in the community reached out to help Passion and Habitat, donating hours of service.

Many local churches came by on Wednesdays and Saturdays to provide lunch for volunteers.

“And there was the neighbor who came out almost every day and brought brownies,” Lander said. “She was a favorite.”

Unfortunately, Passion’s home was impacted by the Aug. 25 storms that brought flood waters that totaled Passion’s car.

“(The flood waters) did not come into the house but it was up to the duct work,” Lander said.

Passion is thankful the house fared as well, adding repairs were made and everything is fine. “I’m happy every day, the kids are happy every day,” she said.

Passion recently received a promotion and now works at Northampton County Schools Central Office.

Daughter Little Faith, who was born premature, is doing fine and growing.

Y’Mahni and son Wayne are in the Roanoke Rapids school district now, and Passion and fiancé Wayne Wilkins are planning a wedding sometime next year.

“I just thank God every day,” she said.

Passion and her family put in about 400 hours of “sweat equity” on the home over the past nine months.

They have the rest of their lives to enjoy the fruits of their labor.