THANK YOU!

An Opportunity to Serve 

Our faith teaches us that God loves us and that His love is actively transforming human history. Further, we are taught that this love deserves and demands that we respond in kind. We must actively love God and those He loves. As Luke’s gospel instructs us, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” The fact that the Church exists at all depends upon our awareness of God’s love for each of us and our authentic response to that love--that we work for the full dignity of every human being. 

It has always been the mission of the Church of the Good Shepherd to actively proclaim God’s love for us and to offer direction and opportunities for service to our neighbors. I would like to tell you about just one of those opportunities that has become one of my primary and most effective means of service. 

At the Augusta/CSRA affiliate of Habitat for Humanity, our mission is to serve the dignity of our neighbors by helping them to earn a decent place to live. For 30 years, we have done this by bringing future homeowners and volunteers together to build safe and affordable homes, communities, and hope. On July 28, we dedicated our 75th house for a new partner homeowner, Cadaciza Freeman. Cadaciza and her three daughters join other members of partner families who now have an opportunity for a new beginning in a place to call home. Habitat homes are affordable, but they are not free. Our partner families must pay off a no-interest loan in the amount of our actual cost of constructing their home and in installments that are a fraction of the cost of rent. They must also demonstrate the capability and determination to meet the responsibilities of home ownership by working hundreds of hours of sweat equity, helping to build their own homes, and attending educational workshops on budgeting, financing, managing mortgage payments and home maintenance to learn the life skills needed to become successful, first-time homebuyers. 

The fact that any of these new homes exist at all is due to the hard work of many good people joined together by our mission. For example, 155 construction volunteers contributed about 2,739 work hours to complete the Freeman’s home. The cost of construction is financed by loan payments made by our partner families and funds we raise through individual and business donations, grants, and our ReStore home goods thrift stores. 

We break ground for our next new home on September 8. I would like to invite my brothers and sisters at the Church of the Good Shepherd to join the more than 300 volunteers who build the homes, raise the funds and do support work for our habitat families as we seek to put God’s love into action. Just contact us at 706-481-8681 or go to our website at info@augustahabitat.org or www.augustahabitat.org click on “Volunteer Up” and join our mission. 

Richard Martin, President Augusta/CSRA Habitat for Humanity