New Habitat home dedicated
Danielle Reid/Patriot Publishing
Kelly Elliott’s son, Jason, cuts the ribbon during the dedication ceremony for the Elliott ‘s new home in Dublin. The home was sponsored by Habitat for Humanity of the NRV. On the left is Habitat for Humanity Executive Director Jim Drader. The dedication took place on April 17th at the Stafford Drive location.
By DANIELLE REID
Patriot Publishing
Home. That word invokes many different images. To one, it may be a cottage by the sea. To another, a thatched hut in an arrid landscape. Or to another, a high-rise apartment with a terrace overlooking the city.
Irish novelist, Cecelia Ahern once wrote: “Home isn’t a place, it’s a feeling.” But to Kelly Elliott, “home” is more than a feeling. It’s a real place of her own with three bedrooms, a leak-proof roof, a solid foundation with a walk-out basement, a modern kitchen with energy efficient solar and gas appliances – designed and constructed to shelter her family, by volunteers who love to bless others.
Elliott volunteered with Habitat for Humanity NRV for over 130 hours, working on other projects as well as her own. “The program helps teach volunteers how to do things like paint, put up doors, install floors and siding. I really value Habitat’s dedication to helping people. I was trying to figure out how to make changes in life but still be financially independent and raise my two kids. Working with Habitat as an option was definitely life-changing for me in making a new start.”
Like others who have received a home from Habitat, Elliott plans to continue volunteering beyond the family’s move-in. “Volunteering is a super way to be connected to a community. It instills important values of giving back and service to others.”
The Elliotts’ new home, located at 5472 Stafford Drive in Dublin, was dedicated by our local Habitat for Humanity organization on Wednesday, April 17th. The dedication ceremony commemorates the completion of the first Atmos Energy Corporation-sponsored Zero Net Energy home in Virginia.
By definition, an Atmos Zero Net Energy (ZNE) home is designed to produce as much energy as it consumes within a year, which results in zero enery consumption. The Stafford Drive home is equipped with high-efficiency natural gas heating, water heating, air conditioning equipment, building envelope efficiency, and rooftop photovoltaic solar technology.
According to Danny Bertotti, Atmos Vice President of Marketing, “Atmos has a long tradition of giving back to the community. The Zero Net Energy homes have a low-carbon footprint, and give people choices of which energy sources they want in their home.”
Atmos Energy, a 100-year-old company headquartered in Dallas, TX serves eight states including Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia and employs over 4,800 people. They are the country’s largest natural gas-only distributor, serving 3 million distribution customers. The company donated complete funding for this project.
Habitat for Humanity of the New River Valley built the 1,245 square foot home in partnership with Setter Construction, Pulaski County High School’s Career and Technology Education (CTE) Program, Atmos Energy Corporation and Baseline Solar Solutions of Christiansburg.
Setter Construction, headquartered in Dublin, serves the New River Valley one project at a time. Between co-owners Wesley Smith and Austin Hauslohner, they have over 30 years of experience in the construction industry.
“We provide projects with elegant craftsmanship and timeless value. We believe in fair pricing, working with our clients to give them the final results they desire, while maintaining a realistic budget,” said the co-owners.
Baseline Solar Solutions of Christiansburg Director of Sales, DeWayne Shelton and Meg Root, Baseline Sales and Marketing Specialist, were on hand for the ribbon cutting. “Baseline Solar designs, installs and services solar energy systems to power homes and business. We believe in minimizing the environmental impact and specialize in PV (photovoltaic) system design and installation, as well as battery backup systems and EV charging stations,” they said.
Baseline Solar designed and provided the roof solar panels, and the installers for the Elliott home.
“Projects like building this home gives the trades student real-world, hands-on-experience,” explained Habitat for Humanity Executive Director, Jim Drader. Drader thanked Setter Construction for mentoring the Pulaski CTE students, adding “This project will create an efficient and affordable home for a hard-working family in Pulaski County.”
A part of Habitat for Humanity’s home dedication ceremony is to hand the new owner a symbolic oversized key that can be displayed in the new home, followed by cutting the ribbon; completing the official transfer of the home to the new owner.
During the ceremony, Christina Christiansen, Multi-Media Manager for Atmos, presented gifts of toys and books to ten-year-old Jason and seven-year-old Hazel Elliott to fill their bookshelves. Each of the children have their own room.
Drader and his associates also prayed over the new home, thanking the Lord for inspiring the hearts of those who have generously supported and volunteered on the project, and asking for them to be blessed because of their contributions.
He concluded his prayer by saying, “As we dedicate this home today, we pray it will be a place of love, joy, and security for the family. May it be a sanctuary where they find rest, renewal, and a launching pad for their dreams and aspirations. We commit this house into Your hands, trusting in Your providence and grace. May Your presence dwell within these walls, guiding and protecting all who live here. We pray in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.”
For information about Habitat for Humanity NRV, please visit: https://www.habitatnrv.org/