Community News: Atlanta Habitat, Westside Future Fund build new home for Westside family

On Saturday, February 9, Westside Future FundAtlanta Habitat for Humanity and their collective corps of volunteers gathered to ceremoniously bestow keys to one of the Westside’s newest homeowners.

Legacy resident Santecia Bynum and her 9-year-old daughter were ecstatic and grateful to officially become the owners of their new Ashview Heights home.

Bynum (front left) with family members at the dedication of her new home.

The project required the collective efforts of many hands to literally “raise the roof” for Bynum and her family. There were nearly 360 volunteers who showed up every Saturday, rain or shine to make this project a reality.

“When we rally together, there’s nothing that we can’t accomplish,” said WFF’s president and CEO John Ahmann. “Ms. Bynum’s home is proof of what happens when neighbors reach out and support one another. This is what it means to build a beloved community.”

Volunteers, partners and members of the Bynum family during the Feb. 9 dedication.

The home was the first build that Westside Future Fund sponsored with Atlanta Habitat, but is part of a much larger partnership between the two organizations. In the summer of 2018, WFF and Atlanta Habitat launched their Westside Brush with Kindness program.

The program offers cosmetic updates to homes, such as fresh paint jobs and landscaping. Through the collaboration, this program has been extended to non-Habitat homeowners, such as seniors and veterans, reinforcing its commitment to building healthy neighborhoods for all. At least 75 residents each year will receive this care for their homes.

Westside Future Fund is proud to call Atlanta Habitat a partner in its work around community retention and the development of holistic, mixed-income communities.

For more information on Atlanta Habitat and its program and initiatives, visit www.atlantahabitat.org.