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 feat. It seems easier to choose a side to fight for and defend. Finding common ground and creating win-win situations can be a rare event.

But it happens at Habitat Kent all the time. Part of our mission is to bring people together to make a difference in our community. We specialize in building affordable homes, strengthening communities, and being a catalyst for hope. And in order to accomplish this, we go out of our way to bring everyone together.

Habitat Kent has done this for over 40 years.

We know what we’re doing.

We’ve hosted interfaith builds so that people of different religions could come together and serve. Schools have joined together to build Habitat Kent homes and as early as 1987, a black Baptist congregation and a white Christian Reformed congregation joined together to build a Habitat home.

We’re committed to bringing people together from all walks of life. It’s no secret that construction is a male-dominated industry. We often hear from our female volunteers that they are initially hesitant to use power tools or a circular saw.

A group of women who are dedicated to Habitat’s mission are actively working to empower other women to be more comfortable on construction sites. The Women of Habitat Kent have organized networking events, hands-on workshops, and Women Build days just for women to practice their skills with a hammer or nail gun. “I have enjoyed meeting like-minded women who want to work together for a common goal of raising awareness for families in need of affordable housing,” says Cindy, one of the Women of Habitat Kent’s Council members.

Corporate partners are another key component to our efforts of bringing people together.

For our 40th Anniversary this year, we launched our first ever Beer City USA Build. Eight participating breweries have come out on job sites to help build homes alongside our team throughout the month of April.

One of our partners said, “Saugatuck Brewing Co. is overjoyed to be a part of this collaboration with Habitat for Humanity alongside other cherished local breweries, to build an affordable house in the Baxter neighborhood! Our community thrives when we come together, and Habitat for Humanity has given us the ability to do just that!”

By bringing people together, we’re able to make a lasting impact well beyond the walls of a single house. We are able to tear down the walls that divide us, while building the walls that protect us and help us flourish. After 40 years of doing just that, 500 Habitat Kent homeowners are a testament to the work that can be done when people come together.