Baldwin Family Selected for Fourth Home of the Chillicothe Area Habitat for Humanity

Christi Baldwin and son (15071 bytes)

Christi Baldwin and her children became the fourth family selected for a Chillicothe Area Habitat for Humanity Home

10 23 01 - A happy Baldwin family (13550 bytes)

The family was notified on
Tuesday, October 23, 2001.

OUR FOURTH HOME
Information and photos about our homes come from articles published by the Chillicothe Constitution-Tribune. The following excerpt was published in the C-T Friday, October 26, 2001. Article and photos by Catherine Stortz Ripley.

Hours after Christi Baldwin wrote off the idea that she would be chosen a Habitat for Humanity home recipient, a delegation of people from that organization came knocking on her door to inform her that she and her children were chosen as the fourth family. Minutes after the group voted, they descended upon the Baldwin residence located in a mobile home park on Cowgill Street. It was the second time Baldwin had applied to become a Habitat home recipient.

The Baldwins moved to their home on Cowgill Street after spending three years in public housing. While their current home provided adequate shelter, the three bedroom structure was small for the growing family which includes three children. Christi had first learned about Habitat from a flyer which the children brought home from school.

Don Hoffman was chairman of the Family Selection Committee at the time of selecting the fourth family. Local Habitat President, Elizabeth Cunningham, advised, "In times such as this, we find our most precious sanctuaries are our own collective communities and our individual homes. What better statement today can be made than our assuming responsibilities for another local family to be able to purchase their home with our support.

A ground-breaking ceremony was held Saturday, January 26, 2002, at 419 Herriman, the location of the new home.

Family Notified Tuesday, October 23, 2001
Home Dedicated Sunday, December 22, 2002

BUILDING OUR FOURTH HOME

Baldwin accepts the keys to her new home(10368 bytes) Home at 419 Herriman Dedicated December 22
The following story and photo were published in the December 24, 2002, Constitution-Tribune. C-T Photo and article by Laura Schuler, City Editor

Christi Baldwin accepts keys to her new home, built by the Chillicothe Area Habitat for Humanity chapter Sunday during a dedication ceremony. Also pictured is Jim Johnson, president of the Chillicothe Area Habitat for Humanity Chapter. A total of two Habitat homes were built this year.

Two Chillicothe families will be spending Christmas in their new homes after both houses were dedicated Sunday during a joint ceremony sponsored by the Chillicothe Area Habitat for Humanity chapter. A crowd of between 70 and 80 people attended the ceremony which officially dedicated the home of the Jim and Angela Newsom family; and the home of the Christi Baldwin family. Both homes are located in the 400 block of Herriman Street, and bring the total number of completed Habitat homes in Chillicothe to five.

Before the ceremony began publicly, the Rev. Bill Bellias blessed the Baldwin home, with Christi and her three children, Mitchell, Dakota and C.J., in attendance. After a welcome by Jim Johnson, Chillicothe Area Habitat for Humanity president, the Rev. Don Hoffman provided the opening prayer. Then, Johnson made a few remarks to the crowd, noting the significance of the local Habitat chapter's accomplishments over the past year.

"Nine months ago, we had a ground-breaking ceremony at this spot. Today, we have two homes that we're very proud of. It's amazing what can be done with the help of volunteers," Johnson told the crowd.

He went on to express his appreciation of the businesses who provided the materials for the project and to the volunteers who One of our volunteers (8905 bytes) worked on the homes during the past year. He also thanked those who donated funds for the building projects.

Because of the hard work done by the volunteers, the funds donated from local and area individuals and organizations, and the materials donated from area businesses, Johnson said that the Newsom and Baldwin families will pay $2,000 a year for 20 years (in the form of a low interest loan), with all the funds going back to the Chillicothe Area Habitat for Humanity chapter, so that more homes will be built in the future. "That's the beauty of Habitat," Johnson said. "It's the gift that keeps on giving," Johnson said.

volunteer workers (7006 bytes) Then, McDaniel spoke to those gathered, and expressed his thanks to the volunteers who worked on both houses. "It took a lot of work and volunteer hours to do this," McDaniel said. He added, "This was a good event for our people to come and share this labor of love with the Baldwin and Newsom families and also with the volunteers." McDaniel also talked about the 17 "Care-A-Vanners," from the Pony Express District of the United Methodist Church who worked on the homes for two weeks during the summer. Care-A-Vanners are a special group created by Habitat for Humanity International, dedicated to volunteering their spare time in two-week increments to help on selected Habitat for Humanity "builds" all over the United States.

Following McDaniel's remarks, Penny Denton provided special music, and the presentation of keys and Bibles were held. Johnson presented Christi Baldwin with the keys to her family's new home.

The Chillicothe Area Habitat for Humanity board members were acknowledged during the ceremony and include: the Rev. Charles Epps, Elaine Knittle, Lois Turner, Elizabeth Cunningham, Mike McClure, Paul Murphy, the Rev. Don Hoffman, Bernita Mammen (retired), Ron Urton, the Rev. Bill Bellias, Denise Williams, Debbie Ware, Chuck Haney and Josh Harlow.