Habitat for Humanity International 2022 Affiliate Conference

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Our entire staff had the opportunity to attend the Habitat for Humanity International 2022 Affiliate Conference. Not only did we have a blast, we came back with a better understanding of how to serve those in need of safe, affordable housing.

Women Build Panel

During the Affiliate Conference, we had the opportunity to speak on our booming Women Build program and it’s impact on women in our community. Our CEO, Cynthia Jenkins, and Development Director, Tiffany Cadogan joined our friend from the Honolulu Habitat Affiliate on a panel about Women Build! Tiffany shared ideas on engagement and the experience, while Cynthia talked about our 100 Women Who L.E.A.D initiative.

Our COO, Liz Duncan, was also featured in a Housing Plus session discussing our thriving Home Repair program!

Malachi 3:10 Award

We were one of the few Habitat for Humanity affiliates to be presented with the Malachi 3:10 award at the international conference this year! This award is given to Habitat affiliates who have a lifetime tithe contribution of $500,000. This means so much to us because we get to see our tithes in action. Being able to help others build affordable, safe housing is why we do this. Our tithes have helped over 140 families internationally!

Southern Crescent Habitat for Humanity, Habitat for Humanity International and 83 Habitat affiliates receive transformational $436M gift from MacKenzie Scott

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Southern Crescent Habitat for Humanity homeowner, Toyea, stands on the build site of her future home

JONESBORO, GA (March 22, 2022) — Southern Crescent Habitat for Humanity, along with Habitat for Humanity International, and 83 U.S. Habitat affiliate organizations recently received $436 million in unrestricted giving from American author and philanthropist MacKenzie Scott. Of that, Southern Crescent Habitat received $1.25 million. This transformational donation will substantially help further Habitat’s vision of a world where everyone has equitable access to a safe, decent and affordable place to call home.

“We are very grateful for this amazing gift from MacKenzie Scott and for our Lovejoy homeowner Toyea who is featured as the face of this partnership. We are proud to be 1 of 5 affiliates in Georgia to receive this gift after a thorough vetting process by their consultant. This gift acknowledges our effectiveness and the powerful collective efforts of our team, families, sponsors, volunteers, and community. We are currently focused on land acquisition and building. In the current market, there is a shortage of affordable housing and this gift will allow us to address the need in the South Metro Atlanta area,” expresses Southern Crescent Habitat CEO, Cynthia Jenkins.

Southern Crescent Habitat will continue to focus on land acquisition, building more homes per year, and expanding their services to meet the needs of the community. This gift is a building block for reaching their financial goals to impact the community for many years to come. Their efforts will create more equitable homeownership opportunities for individuals and families in Clayton, Henry, and Fayette counties. According to the Habitat “State of Home Affordability” study, there is a shortage of over 190,000 affordable and available homes in Georgia. In addition to Southern Crescent Habitat, four other Habitat affiliates across the state received substantial donations, including: Atlanta Habitat and Gwinnett-Walton Habitat.

Habitat International will use its $25 million portion of the donation to prioritize advocacy and programmatic efforts designed to dismantle systemic racism in housing. Specifically, the donation will allow Habitat to advocate for policy proposals and legislation that enable millions of people access affordable housing through its Cost of Home advocacy campaign; increase Black homeownership in the U.S. by targeting current systemic barriers through a new initiative that will launch this summer; and leverage innovative capital investments that service communities of color.

“Habitat works to break down barriers and bring people together — to tear down obstacles and build a world where everyone, no matter who we are or where we come from, has a decent place to live,” said Habitat for Humanity International CEO Jonathan Reckford. “This incredible gift helps make that work possible.”

Southern Crescent Family receives a Christmas Surprise from Warrick Dunn Charities and Aaron’s

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When Shaneeka Grant pulled up to the home on Belair Lane, she had no idea what was in store. She was greeted by former Atlanta Falcon Warrick Dunn and a slew of cameras ready to capture the magical moment. Not only was she given $5,000 in down payment assistance, but she also received $10,000 worth of furnishing from Aaron’s. The Home Depot Foundation, The American Opportunity Foundation, Ryan Jumonville of United Networks of America, and Walmart InHome helped Warrick Dunn Charities turn the Grant family house into a home!

Photos Courtesy of Warrick Dunn Charities

Shaneeka Grant had a vision for her family but knew that she would need a little assistance in order to make it a reality. As a kid growing up in Atlanta, Shaneeka recalls living in various apartments around the city. As an adult, homeownership was always her goal. In 2017, Shaneeka was one step closer to homeownership, but the high down payment and life events quickly crushed her dreams. 

There is an old saying that good things come in threes. When Shaneeka heard about Southern Crescent Habitat’s Homeownership program on three different occasions, she took it as a sign. She learned about it through students at her job as an accountant for a Clayton State University. Then her sister told her about Habitat. Finally, she listened to stories from two families that went through the program. In 2019, the Grant family’s journey towards homeownership began.

And now, homeownership is a reality for the Grant family!

Grand Reopening

SCHFH kicks of 35th Anniversary with ReStore Grand Reopening

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On Saturday, October 2nd, Southern Crescent Habitat for Humanity kicked off their 35th Anniversary year with the Grand Reopening of their ReStore in McDonough, GA. Southern Crescent Habitat took over the operations of the McDonough ReStore from Habitat for Humanity International earlier this year. The SCHFH ReStore is a home improvement store that sells new to gently used furniture, appliances, and building supplies at discounted prices. Every purchase made at the ReStore goes to fund Habitat programs, such as homeownership, home repair, and neighborhood revitalization. Founded in 1986, SCHFH has built and repaired the homes of over 400 families in the South Metro Atlanta area.

Over the next year, Southern Crescent Habitat for Humanity will utilize funds from the ReStore to construct two new homes for families either Clayton, Henry, or Fayette counties. See more pictures here.

Homeowner Payoff

Southern Crescent Habitat Celebrates Six Homeowner Mortgage Payoffs

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A Habitat home is more than a house, it provides the foundation that families need to thrive! These homeowners have created memories, raised their children in these homes, and now they are PAID in FULL! Congratulations on such a huge accomplishment! How awesome is it that we get to celebrate 6 mortgage payoffs at once?!!

35 years ago, we broke ground on our first Habitat home! Since that first home in Clayton County, many of our homeowners have paid off their mortgages and own their home – free and clear! They can pass along the wealth they’ve created to their own family.

Check out some of the photos from the celebration HERE!

Piedmont Henry and Piedmont Fayette Hospitals team up with Southern Crescent Habitat for Women Build

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Women Build is one of Southern Crescent Habitat for Humanity’s most anticipated events! Thanks to our 2021 Women Build community sponsors, Piedmont Henry and Piedmont Fayette, we were able to safely welcome all of the women back on our build sites this year. Although we significantly reduced the amount of volunteers allowed on our sites, the women were still able to complete projects in all three counties that we serve.

Southern Crescent Habitat for Humanity (SCHFH) provided a safe haven for all-women volunteer groups to learn more about construction and landscaping while ensuring our Habitat partner families have a decent place to call home. The volunteers joined our ambassadors Yvette Johnson of Reclaimed Karma, Barbara Coleman of Connecting Henry, and DeBlair Tate of 8figured Brand. The families we partnered with included two disabled seniors, a hardworking single mother, and a disabled veteran.

Four of the groups joined us in the July and our last women build group of the year included JACOBS Engineering Women’s Network in September.

Check out the photos below:

Clayton County Women Build

Piedmont Fayette Women Build

Henry County Women Build

Piedmont Henry Women Build

JACOBS Women Build

Southern Crescent Habitat Receives Positive Payload from American Trucks

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Southern Crescent Habitat for Humanity is grateful for American Trucks and their Positive Payload Program which awarded us $250 for our organization! The Positive Payload Program is designed to benefit non-profit organizations who use and rely on pickup trucks and pickup truck accessories to better their community.

American Trucks recognizes that pickups are the backbone of the American workforce, from job sites to disaster relief and everything in between, which is why they’ve launched the Positive Payload Program. Here at Southern Crescent Habitat, trucks are vital to our operations. From transporting supplies to meeting with contractors and officials, our trucks make it possible for us to continue serving families in the South Metro Atlanta area.

SCHFH Graduates

Educational Opportunities & Housing: Celebrating Our Graduates

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Southern Crescent Habitat for Humanity is building foundations to prepare families for the future through homeownership. Growing up in a decent, affordable home can have a powerful effect on children. Studies draw a straight line between the quality, location and affordability of housing and a child’s ability to thrive.  Families who spend too much of their income on housing often must make critical trade-offs, including forgoing educational and enrichment opportunities for themselves and their children.

Not only are we celebrating homeownership month and the over 200 families that achieved their dream of homeownership through our program, but we celebrate our SCHFH graduates. Their educational achievements are a testament to the mission of Habitat and the hard work of our partner families.

  • Laura Jones
  • Jabari O’Neal
  • Kasyana Bouie
  • Crysma Roberts

Laura Jones: Georgia State University ’21 | Master’s in Social Work

Ms. Jones is a great example of perseverance! She became a homeowner 10 years ago and after her daughter graduated high school, she went back to school and earned her Bachelor’s in Social Work. She took a break after her mom passed, but returned to GSU in 2020. Now equipped with her Master’s in Social Work, Jones is excited about future opportunities through her current employer, Fulton County.

Jabari O’Neal: Lovejoy High School ’21 | Kennesaw State University

Kasyana Bouie: Lovejoy High School ’21 | Fort Valley State University | Veterinarian

Crysma Roberts: Charles Drew High School ’21 | North Georgia Technical College | Future Bakery Owner

Welcome Aboard

Southern Crescent Habitat Welcomes New Team Members to the Family

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  • Erica Dolcini, Operations Assistant
  • Michael Demers, AmeriCorps Construction Lead

Erica Dolcini, MBA

Erica Dolcini is the newest member of the Southern Crescent Habitat For Humanity family. Originally from a small town called Petaluma, California, Ms. Dolcini attended the University of Southern California as well as the University of Notre Dame. While at these universities, Ms. Dolcini learned the essential skills of Strategic Sales and went on to make multi-million dollar sales for companies such as the International Business Machines Corporation (IBM). With a strong passion for helping others, she relocated to Atlanta, Georgia where she assumed the Operations Assistant role at the Southern Crescent Habitat For Humanity. Although Ms. Dolcini misses her family and the California weather, assisting families acquire affordable housing while working with individuals who are genuinely passionate about helping others made the transition truly worth it. 

Michael Demers

Michael Demers is the new AmeriCorps Construction Lead at Southern Crescent Habitat for Humanity. Originally from Merrimack, New Hampshire, Michael relocated to Atlanta, Georgia in 2014. With an interest in Philosophy and Literature, Michael attended Emory University where he later graduated in 2018. When he’s not enjoying s’mores in a national park or playing basketball with friends Michael can often be found onsite assisting homeowners with the repairs and construction of their new home. 

Being aware of the many on-going issues in the housing system, Michael saw working for SCHFH as the perfect opportunity to begin making a difference in his community. From learning financial literacy to helping new homeowners build their own home, Michael says working for SCHFH has been very rewarding thus far and will continue to extend his help in the ongoing effort to provide families with decent and affordable housing. 

Veteran Glenn Clontz

Southern Crescent Habitat Saves Sinking Home of McDonough Veteran

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Air Force Veteran Glenn Clontz in front of his home
Glenn Clontz posing in front of the garage of his McDonough home.

Sinking is a term often used to describe a ship, but never a house. In the case of Henry County veteran Glenn Clontz, this is the dilemma he faced until Southern Crescent Habitat for Humanity stepped in to help. 

Mr. Clontz, a veteran of the US Air Force, purchased his home a little over 10 years ago with intentions on living there forever. At its peak, the home located on a quiet McDonough street, was beautifully landscaped with a gorgeous Koi pond in front. Now, there are huge cracks in the interior walls and the foundation is visibly collapsing into the ground. Not letting his disability hold him back, Mr. Clontz attempted to repair it on his own, but realized it was more than he could bear. For about two years, Mr. Clontz has only been able to live on one side of the house while hoping to find some assistance.

Sinking home of Henry County veteran
The left side of Mr. Clontz’s home was sinking before Southern Crescent Habitat stepped in!

Southern Crescent Habitat for Humanity is known for building homes, but since launching the Veteran Build program, they have helped over 50 veterans with critical home repairs. After learning about Southern Crescent Habitat’s Heroes & Housing through a friend, Mr. Clontz decided to take his chance — finally, he found hope.

After several expert opinions, Southern Crescent Habitat’s Construction Director, Jenifer Klippel, knew that this home would take a little more funding than a typical repair. Construction engineers to city officials, joined SCHFH to put their heads together and developed a plan that would save Mr. Clontz’s home.

Thanks to funding from Henry County CDBG, the Home Depot Foundation, Masco Corporation (Behr Paint), Habitat for Humanity International VHRMP, and MC Squared; SCHFH not only repaired the home’s foundation, but they also:

  • Replaced the water heater
  • Repaired the plumbing
  • Installed new flooring
  • Replaced the roof 
  • Completed several exterior repairs
  • And more…

Although this project was a huge undertaking for Southern Crescent Habitat for Humanity, they are committed to building homes, communities, and hope. For additional information on this project, the Veteran Build program, or Southern Crescent Habitat for Humanity, please contact info@schabitat.org.