It began as a PowerPoint on a rainy day, and ended on a bright Sunday in the form of 10 new homes for UNC employees.
More than 100 students, faculty and community members gathered Sunday afternoon to dedicate the Build a Block project, organized by the UNC chapter of Habitat for Humanity.
The 10 houses — built within the last year in the Phoenix Place neighborhood — set a new standard for both Habitat for Humanity and the campus chapter that, until now, had only built two houses annually since 1993.
Jonathan Reckford, CEO of Habitat for Humanity and a UNC alumnus, said he was proud of the chapter’s consistency in home construction throughout the years.
Patti Thorp, wife of Chancellor Holden Thorp, said she describes herself as the Build a Block project’s cheerleader, adding that she has been enthusiastic about the project since it began.
UNC alumna Megan Jones, the student leader of the Build a Block project, said she was pleased with the connections that were built throughout the project, most notably the friendships created during a Saturday on a Habitat for Humanity construction site.
She also stressed the project’s importance for Orange County.
“This is our chance to make an impact,” Jones said.
Susan Levy, executive director of Habitat for Humanity of Orange County, said UNC is the only institution to attempt such an extensive project for the international organization, and its completion sets a record for the most homes built in a year by any Habitat for Humanity chapter.
One of the new homeowners, UNC employee Latesha Foushee, said the project will help provide her kids with the opportunity to attend quality schools and play in a safe neighborhood.
