In February, Keyon Young, Amazon’s Regional Director of Operations, presented Habitat Susquehanna’s Executive Director Yvonne Golczewski with a check for $54K as sponsorship for the home at 511 S. Stokes Street, Havre de Grace. Approximately 50 Amazon volunteers participated in a panel build where they built the walls of the home. Habitat Susquehanna’s staff provided oversight while its volunteers acted as “nail captains” to guide the Amazon groups’ activities. PHOTO CREDIT: Cathy Herlinger
Amazon volunteers participate in a wall raising, panel build and commit to weekly volunteering for 511 S. Stokes Street, Havre de Grace
On March 25, Amazon volunteers took part in a wall raising ceremony for the next (and final) duplex to be built by Habitat Susquehanna at 509 and 511 S. Stokes Street, Havre de Grace. Representatives of the City of Havre de Grace, the Dresher Foundation, and St. Margaret Parish also attended as house sponsors.
Just a month prior, Keyon Young, Amazon’s Regional Director of Operations, presented Habitat Susquehanna’s Executive Director Yvonne Golczewski with a check for $54K towards sponsorship of one of the duplex’s units (511). At the February check presentation, 50 Amazon employees built the exterior and core walls of the first floor of that duplex’s unit at an Amazon warehouse parking lot in Sparrows Point. It was a full-circle moment for the Amazon volunteers to raise these walls during last week’s event.
In addition to the house sponsorship, Amazon has committed to providing weekly volunteers for the home until it is completed.
Homebuyer Heather Jalufka and her son raised the walls of their future home (511 S. Stokes Street) with the help of Amazon volunteers in a March 25 wall raising ceremony. During the same event, a group from Gustavus Adolphus College – students who were volunteering with Habitat Susquehanna during the week over their spring break — raised the walls of the first unit (509 S. Stokes Street) of the duplex with Habitat volunteers. The 509/511 S. Stokes Street duplex is part of a subdivision — along with a single-family house and two other duplexes — built by Habitat Susquehanna, the first of its kind for the nonprofit. The seven Habitat homes are on a lot bordered by Revolution Street, S. Stokes Street and Freedom Lane. PHOTO CREDIT: Bill CarsonAmazon employees stand in front of the completed panel build of 511 S. Stokes Street. The walls to that home were built on their Sparrows Point parking lot and then delivered by trade partner and in-kind donor Rick Dilworth to Havre de Grace where they were used during the March 25 wall raising ceremony. PHOTO CREDIT: Cathy HerlingerAmazon volunteers pose in front of the sponsorship sign with Heather Jalufka, the homebuyer of one of the duplex’s units — 511 S. Stokes Street, Havre de Grace — and her son. The $54K Amazon sponsorship will go towards Heather’s home. “Heather is a single mom who has a nine-year-old son,” said Habitat Susquehanna’s Executive Director Yvonne Golczewski to the Amazon volunteers at a February panel build. “She’s living in the basement of her father’s friend’s house while she’s waiting for this home to be built. She is very grateful for everything that is being done for her. Single mothers’ stories are something we hear about all the time; about 70 percent of our homebuyers are single mothers. They all lived in substandard conditions and they just want a decent place to raise their children.” PHOTO CREDIT: Bill Carson
“The work we do in our community is really important,” said Young during the check presentation. “We don’t just move boxes and build big buildings in communities; we are a part of the community. I’ve always wanted to do a build because I think it’s one of the basic necessities of life and dignity — to make sure people have decent housing — so for us to be a part of that is a special thing. We’re not just swinging hammers, we’re doing good for people in the community.”
About Habitat for Humanity Susquehanna, Inc.
Habitat for Humanity Susquehanna, Inc. is an ecumenical Christian housing organization devoted to building, renovating and repairing houses in partnership with the community in Harford and Cecil counties. Since Habitat Susquehanna’s inception in 1993, we have built or rehabbed 110 homes, supported 90+ builds abroad, made more than 500 repairs for 400+ families, and served 500+ people through financial counseling. We have lifted up more than 1,000 families and impacted well over 2,500 people! We are the experts in meeting the housing needs of low-income families in our area. For more information, call 410-638-4434 (Harford County) or 410-398-3399 (Cecil County) or visit www.habitatsusq.org.
