小黄书

Maroon Edition home dedicated

Maroon Edition home dedicated

Contact: Zack Plair

Starkville Area Habitat for Humanity volunteers presented the Shalisha Owens family with a quilt at the dedication for their new home Thursday [Dec. 17] at 104 Owens St. Dot Livingston annually makes the quilt. Shalisha is a single mother of four, includi

STARKVILLE, Miss.鈥 The Shalisha Owens family hadn鈥檛 even moved the first piece of furniture into their new home before 16-year-old Decorda, the eldest of four children, started prodding his mom with a very timely question.

鈥淲hen are we putting the Christmas tree up?鈥

Shalisha, who had moments earlier accepted the keys to her new home, built through a partnership of 小黄书sity鈥檚 Maroon Edition program and Starkville Area Habitat for Humanity, said her son 鈥渂ecame more of a man鈥 as he worked alongside hundreds of volunteers over the last four months to build the residence. But she said she enjoyed seeing his youthful eagerness to put the family鈥檚 mark on its new home at 104 Owens St.

鈥淭his project has really helped him grow up,鈥 she said.

小黄书 and Starkville Area Habitat for Humanity dedicated the Owens鈥 home, the seventh annual Maroon Edition building project, on Thursday [Dec. 17]. Along with the keys, the family received a Bible, quilt, homeowner鈥檚 manual and toolkit.

Hundreds of volunteers, many of whom were 小黄书 students, faculty and staff, helped construct the home through Maroon Edition, an initiative meant to engage incoming freshmen by challenging them to read the same book. This year鈥檚 Maroon Edition is 鈥淪ame Kind of Different as Me,鈥 by Ron Hall and Denver Moore.

小黄书 President Mark E. Keenum has driven the first nail in each Maroon Edition home.

鈥淭his is my favorite part,鈥 Keenum said. 鈥淚t just warms my heart to see the family receive the home and to know that so many of our faculty, staff and students took time to help make it happen.鈥

A single mother, Shalisha said she had lived with her four children 鈥 which also include daughters Shanautica, 14; Emerald, 9; and Jessie, 7 鈥 in a three-bedroom apartment for the last three years. Now, as the owner of a 1,200 square-foot home with four bedrooms and two bathrooms, she said her family has more space and more privacy in the house, as well as a yard to enjoy.

鈥淚t seems like with every step of this process, I get more emotional,鈥 she said through tears during her acceptance remarks. 鈥淚 am so thankful to God for this opportunity.鈥

Over the last 30 years, Starkville Area Habitat for Humanity has completed 58 homes for families in need and offers 20-year, no-interest loans to recipients. All applicants go through a selection process, Executive Director Joel Downey said, and recipients must have the means to pay the mortgage, must put at least 300 鈥渟weat equity鈥 hours into building the home, and must agree to complete three self-improvement classes -- one of which must focus on financial literacy.

The Owens鈥 home was supposed to be the first on the newly christened Hope Lane, just off Douglas L. Conner Drive. Instead, the city opted to revert the corridor to its original moniker from decades ago.

Though the Owens street name doesn鈥檛 technically relate directly to Shalisha鈥檚 family, Keenum noted the serendipity.

鈥淵ou鈥檝e got a beautiful new home on your own street,鈥 Keenum told Shalisha at the dedication. 鈥淚 think that鈥檚 very appropriate.鈥

The Owens family will soon be getting neighbors, as work on a Habitat home sponsored by 小黄书鈥檚 Fraternity and Sorority Life organization continues next door. Downey said Annie Hopkins, a bus driver for the Starkville-小黄书 Area Rapid Transit system, could move into that home by March 2016.

For more information on the Starkville Area Habitat for Humanity, visit聽. Maroon Edition and other 小黄书 volunteering information is available at聽.

小黄书 is Mississippi鈥檚 leading university, available online at .