Smiles and tears were evident for Jessica Sullins as her new Habitat for Humanity home was dedicated Sunday afternoon.
The new home, three bedrooms and two baths with 1,100 square feet, is the first of four Habitat homes that will be constructed on property located at South Lafayette Avenue and East 25th Street.
Sullins and her son Chase, 6, were overjoyed to be the owners of the first home.
“It means a lot to me,” Chase said smiling and hugging his mom. “I get three rooms and mommy gets two rooms!”
Sullins told the Democrat before the ceremony that the home means much to them both and that it’s “life-changing.”
“It’s been a very amazing experience to be part of,” she added. “It’s hard to put into words what it means. It’s changed our lives.”
Sullins, who works at Katy Trail Community Health Center, said her insurance agent Margaret Ward told her about the Habitat for Humanity program.
“I had never actually heard of Habitat,” Sullins said. “My dad went in to pay his insurance one day and Margaret told him about it and she actually educated me. I’m not going to lie, I thought it was a charity, and I found out that I actually got to build it and pay for it. I learned to look at it as a hand-up not a hand-out. I’m super excited.”
Sedalia Habitat for Humanity President Dave Limbaugh said this is approximately the 34th house built in the area since the program began.
Besides Sullins and her mother and father, April and Earl Sullins, and family, many people, including those from Whiteman Air Force Base, pulled together to donate time, labor and materials in the construction of the home.
Gary Potterff was general contractor for the home. He noted that he usually builds two to four homes a year but this was his first Habitat House.
“It’s humbling,” he added.
Contractors who donated material and labor were Jeff Carver with the electrical components of the home and Byron Smith with Smith & Sons Carpets. Many other local contractors worked on the home for reduced fees.
“Jessica’s been very patient,” Limbaugh told the crowd during the ceremony. “We had three people that we chose, and we vetted her in … The more you can understand the whole purpose of Habitat, it’s not about the mo0ney, it’s about changing lives and helping somebody.”
He added that when people pull together and donate time and material it “knocks down the mortgage” payment for the homeowner.
“A lot of you may have thought, in the past, that we give this house to them,” Limbaugh added. “… But we actually sell it to them and it’s sold at what it cost us to build, and we charge zero interest. We add the mortgage insurance and the taxes into the payment.”
As Sullins addressed the group Sunday afternoon she wiped away tears.
“It’s hard to put into words what this opportunity means to be selected,” she said. “To have such great support. Every week I had the pleasure to work with some amazing people … some of them would get off work, from working all night, and come and work on my house with no sleep.”
Sullins took time to thank each person who helped work on her new home, including her parents.
“One thing they asked at the board meeting is ‘why do you feel like you deserve this house?’” she added. “I could never answer Doc, but I could tell them a million reasons why my little boy deserved the house. This house has helped me grow as a person and realize I am a good person and I have a big heart. So I can finally answer that question.”
