2018 is the year of their 25th Anniversary and the Home Build for House #60 has been amazing….and the owner of house number 60 is just as amazing!
Lucritia’s Graham was the tenth child born in a family of 11 children. She was especially close to her younger sister and grew up in a family where a good work ethic and Christian upbringing were the focus. The family moved from downtown Charleston to Park Circle where she went to North Charleston High School. As they grew up, church youth programs and volunteering when they could, kept she and her siblings busy at St. Peters AME.
Fact Box Insert Q; How Many volunteer hours on average does it take to build one Habitat Home?
A; Approximately 2,000 volunteer hours per home. That would mean that it has taken approximately 120,000 volunteer hours to construct the 60 houses that have become homes in Summerville!
Lucritia has four children…her oldest son is contemplating going into the Navy. Her second son is at Trident Technical College and looking at programs like ones that provide training for companies like Boeing or Volvo. Her daughters are in elementary school and have their bicycles ready to ride around their new neighborhood!
While she was going through the nonprofit organization Dorchester Habitat Homeownership Program qualification process, Lucritia and her family had been living with her mother for a year and a half. This has been a time for her family to work together; a time to be patient and enjoy family. As a part of the program, Lucritia’s sons and other volunteers have committed more than 425 volunteer hours of ‘sweat equity’ on their own home, other Habitat Homes and in the Habitat ReStore.
Fun Fact Box Insert Q; Who are some of the volunteer groups that have donated the most hours over the last 25 years?
A; The Summerville Elks Lodge, Bethany United Methodist Church, Charleston Air Force Base, Atlas Technologies and Duncan-Parnell. Would you like to volunteer with a group of co-workers, neighbors or church friends? Call our Summer Weston our volunteer coordinator to book your date!
Lucritia loves her job, she has been an in-home certified nursing assistant for 18 years. She enjoys working for one company that sends her to different locations so that she can care for a variety of patients. She became interested in health care when she began caring for her younger sister who grew up with juvenile diabetes. Helping with her insulin management came naturally to the older sister. She is vigilant in caring for her patients and has considered continuing her education to become an EMT or RN, which would take about 2 more years of college.
She found out about the opportunity to have a home of her own in 2015 after she heard about Habitat, checked out the website and attended a community information meeting. One of her first tasks was to clean up her credit report and learn to create and balance her family budget. She has trimmed down her spending habits and focused on preparing to be a responsible home owner.
Q; What is the largest fundraiser for Dorchester Habitat?
A; The ReStore is the largest fundraiser for Dorchester Habitat. There is a constant flow of people dropping off donations on one side and shopping for everything from construction supplies to books to furniture on the other side.
Q; How many volunteers does it take to operate the ReStore each day and how can we donate?
A; At least 10 volunteers each day and the most popular donations are living and bedroom furniture….visit the website to schedule your pick-up!
Of course Lucritia’s whole family is thrilled about having a home to call their own. Her two elementary school daughters will share a room and her sons will each have their own room. After living with family for several months, everyone is looking forward to having a home that provides stability on the inside and the outside.
Q; On average, how many 2×4’s does it take to build the frame of a Habitat Home (including interior walls)? How many pounds of nails does it take to secure the frame of a Habitat Home? How many electrical outlets are needed for power for a Habitat Home? (Hint; a standard Habitat Home is 1200 square feet)?
A; On average 400 2×4’s, 150 pounds of nails and 30 electrical outlets!!!
Lucritia, her volunteer friends and her sons have spent many hours working on their home; she especially enjoyed picking out paint colors and getting to know the many loyal community volunteers who come out on Saturdays just to ‘give back’. During this process, she has learned that if you follow your dreams and stick with your goals and keep praying, you will be rewarded with amazing results. One of her biggest supporters was Town Councilman Aaron Brown. He has been a longtime supporter of Dorchester Habitat and spoke at the dedication for the 60th home. Getting to know Lucritia over the long qualification process, he encouraged her to hang in there, be determined to meet the requirements and finally her dreams came true!
