Welcome Home, Isaac and Elizabeth!
Isaac and Elizabeth recently closed on their Habitat Kent house, becoming first-time homeowners. But they were champions of Habitat Kent well before joining our homeownership program. They first learned about […]
The Past, Present and Future of Affordable Housing
Picture: Mayor Bliss celebrated the home dedication with our Executive Director, Bev Thiel, and the future homeowners of the all-electric homes on Diamond. Photo by Mojet Photography. The past, present and future […]
Self Respect, Stability, and Green Building
An interview with former Habitat Kent Executive Director, John Kuiper Pictured above: John on a build site when Habitat Kent was previously Habitat for Humanity of Grand Rapids; Habitat homeowners […]
Bringing People Together
Seeking to put God’s love into action, Habitat for Humanity of Kent County brings people together to build homes, communities, and hope. Bringing people together can be quite a […]
Seeking to put God’s love into action…
…Habitat for Humanity of Kent County brings people together, to build homes, communities, and hope. Our mission statement, constructed of three simple phrases, economically expresses the “why,” the “how,” and […]
Turning a House into a Home: Linda’s Story
Linda first applied for a Habitat Kent house in December 2019. She was approved but had to wait for a home to become available. She was finally offered and accepted […]
“A Safe Place to Call Our Own”
Tory’s relationship with Habitat for Humanity began very early on in her life. Riding on the bus to and from school, she would see the signs outside of Habitat Kent […]
Work with a Purpose : Celebrating Bill and his 21 Years of Service!
Today we give a big shout-out celebrating Bill Moerdyk, currently the longest-serving member on Habitat Kent’s team. Throughout his 21 years of service, he has been led by a heart […]
19 households become homeowners with your help: annual impact report 2022
“The truth is, there are no words to fully express our gratitude.” Those are the words of Bilsan, the 2021 Habitat Kent Homeowner of the Year. Those words are tribute […]
Quanette’s Homeownership Journey
Quanette’s journey to Habitat Kent began when she was informed that her apartment was being sold and that she would have to move out. With Grand Rapids area rents so […]
Building Leaders and Community in Roosevelt Park
Throughout May and June of 2022, we partnered with Dwelling Place to host Building Leaders, Building Communities (BLBC) in the Roosevelt Park neighborhood. This program seeks to bring neighbors together to learn […]
Greg McCormick joins Habitat Kent’s Board of Directors
We are honored to welcome Greg McCormick to our Board of Directors. Now retired, Greg brings a wealth of knowledge from his background at Perrigo as SVP – Self Care Marketing, Insights and Analytics. […]
We welcome Fiona Brennan Shea, Jess Eglinton and Jade Johnson!
We recently welcomed three new faces to our Habitat team: Fiona Brennan Shea, Development Specialist, Jess Eglinton, Donor Relations Specialist, and Jade Johnson. They bring with them a wide breadth […]
Meet Jillianne Carrasco, our newest team member!
In November, Jillianne Carrasco joined Habitat Kent as our newest Homeowner Services Specialist! Jillianne has experience as a FEMA Corps Member, Intern at the U.S. Embassy in La Paz, Bolivia […]
Welcome Yolanda Ross, MBA, our new Human Resources Generalist
Help us welcome Yolanda Ross! Yolanda joins Habitat for Humanity of Kent County as the Human Resources Generalist. She brings a wealth of experience with her including an MBA from […]
hope + opportunity = stability: annual impact report 2021
“Hope and opportunity are the essence of Habitat Kent. Although we faced many challenges this past year, our commitment to our mission carried us through to achieve great outcomes in […]
Introducing Abby Langenberg, Habitat Kent’s New Construction & Warehouse Director
This summer we added a new position to our team and are excited to welcome our Construction and Warehouse Director, Abby Langenberg! Abby has a diverse construction background and was […]
Meet Our New Homeowner Services Specialist
Michelle MacNall joined Habitat Kent earlier this summer as a Homeowner Services Specialist. She brings 12 years of experience from the Habitat affiliate in Baton Rouge, LA where she began […]
Ask the Expert: How to Upgrade Curb Appeal On a Budget
In our first installment of “Ask the Expert,” Tom Poll, Habitat Kent’s Warehouse Supervisor, shares affordable, easy-to-do tips and tricks to upgrade the look and feel of your home. […]
Homeowner Newsletter June 2021
Inside: Homeowner Story: Karen’s most influential woman in her life; 2020 Homeowner of the Year; Ask the Expert; Things to do this summer for the whole family; and more! June […]
March 2021 Habitat Happenings
In this issue: Innovative Housing Solutions; Material Recover Services for your Home Remodel; Home for the Holidays Review; and more! Habitat Kent Happenings, March 2021
Homeowner Newsletter March 2021
Inside: Homeowner Story: Wendy’s Poem Brings Warm Memories, Advice for Selling or Home, Pet Pantry and more. March 2021 Homeowner Services Newsletter
Habitat Kent Happenings: December 2020
What to do when a pandemic keeps you from having home dedication celebrations? Hold a car parade! We celebrated 17 families who are now Habitat Kent homeowners in the Roosevelt […]
stronger together: annual impact report
“You guys are family to us because you’re helping us every step of the way. Habitat is making sure that we fully understand budgeting, we understand everything about our mortgage […]
Blueprint for Greening Affordable Housing
Habitat for Humanity of Kent County and the Plaza Roosevelt are included as a case study in the new book Blueprint for Greening Affordable Housing, published by Island Press. In […]
Habitat Kent reopens South ReStore and resumes construction
GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan, June 8, 2020 — Habitat for Humanity of Kent County has reopened its South ReStore location at 5701 Division Ave S, Wyoming, MI 49548 and in the […]
Habitat for Humanity, Consumers Energy Partner for Power of Home Campaign
GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan, May 20, 2020 — Habitat for Humanity of Michigan and Consumers Energy are partnering to provide financial support to Habitat affiliates that have been severely affected by […]
Jawaan
This is the story of Jawaan and her family. When Jawaan applied to become a Habitat homeowner, she brought her faith in God, her favorite motto (“Teamwork makes the dream […]
Mazarah & Sofia
This is the story of Mazarah and Sofia. In 2016, they came to Michigan with their three children as refugees after fleeing war in the Democratic Republic of the Congo […]
Community Invests $9M in Affordable Housing with Habitat for Humanity
GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan, October 29, 2019 — Habitat for Humanity of Kent County is celebrating securing $9 million for its capital campaign to expand access to affordable housing in Grand […]
Habitat Kent Welcomes Bev Thiel as New Executive Director
GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan, May 20, 2019 — Habitat for Humanity of Kent County has named experienced nonprofit leader Beverly Thiel as its new executive director. Thiel brings more than 25 […]
New Beginnings
John was looking for a fresh start and a chance to live the life he always dreamed of. He was in a vulnerable living situation and unexpected health issues made […]
Strong Futures
In the past year, Dini and Mansura have been surprised how their house transformed from just a plot of land to the beautiful home it is today. Their home was built […]
Confidence
Building a Habitat Kent home takes more than timber, cement, and vinyl. It takes a homebuyer willing to believe that they can accomplish more. Therese took on the challenge of […]
GRPS Students Build Habitat Home
While most students associate the end of the school year with studying for exams, cleaning out lockers, and longing for summer, a group of Grand Rapids Public Schools students were […]
Encouragement
The journey to Habitat homeownership takes encouragement and endurance, which ultimately leads to growth and stability. For Floridalma, her first encouragement came from her brother, who is a Habitat homeowner […]
Milestones
Stability, community, and a strong foundation are realities of life for a majority of West Michigan families. But for Amadou and Housseinatou, these were once only dreams. The Hassanas emigrated […]
Freedom
Bilsan, Norma, and their three boys Roadny (13), Rudy (10), Rony (9), are in awe of their new home. “We can live freer,” Bilsen said.
Responsibility
Because of you, Maria and her two children are going to live in a safe, stable, and healthy home in the neighborhood they love. Maria and her family have been connected […]
A Foundation For Family
Patrice raised her family to love and sacrifice for each other no matter the circumstances. So when she had the opportunity to fulfill her dream of homeownership through Habitat Kent, […]
Stability
Because of you, Iraq War Veteran Jonathan and his wife Lindsay now own a safe, stable, and affordable home. This fall, Jonathan, Lindsay and their children Josh (7) and Karolyne (2) celebrated the […]