We continue our interviews with the Habitat of Northwest TN Board members. Rachel Craig gives her insight into how Habitat helps build a stronger community. Rachel Craig has two children, Madison Woodward, married to Jason Woodward and Hunter Cartwright, and a beautiful granddaughter, Eleanor Ruth Woodward.
Often, we may think of board members as just individuals sitting behind four walls and making decisions. That is not the case with our Habitat affiliate. They have many memories and years of experience doing hands-on work alongside homeowners. It is truly amazing to see such genuine kindness flow through these individuals.
Rachel Craig has been involved with Habitat from the very start. At the time of the first build for Judy Jones, she worked for the late attorney John W. Palmer and handled all the legal work on every Habitat house. They worked with Ronda Heathcott on the mortgage side. Mr. Palmer’s office continued handling all Habitat’s real estate transfers until he died. In 2005 she became more involved on the volunteering side by helping to build a house for Jea Tyus. Former board member John Murray got her involved on the volunteer side, and that is when she asked to become a part of the Board of Directors.
When asked what her most memorable moment is with Habitat, she replied: “That is a hard question! I have so many memorable moments. The one thing that has always been important to me with Habitat is building relationships with our homeowners. It is not just building affordable housing; it is getting to know the homeowner, their families, and their story. I have two favorite days during a Habitat build; the first day is when we raise the walls because you can see a home going up. Second, when you give the keys to the family/person after completion because you have developed a relationship at this point, and it is just as exciting for us as it is for them.”
“One story that Charlie James loved to tell was about a young girl that we were building a home for her and her family. When she saw the first wall go up, she asked, “Mr. Charlie, are we going to finish our house today?” She was very excited! Seeing that excitement through that child’s eyes was just wonderful.”
Mrs. Craig was asked if there is a specific family that stands out, and she stated: “There are several. But if I had to pick one, it would be Shirley West. Ms. Shirley was one of the kindest people. Throughout her build on our Saturday build day, her family would all show up to help. She had a large family, and they are all precious and put in so much sweat equity to complete her house. Every Saturday, we built together, had lunch, laughed, and heard her family’s stories. When we started that build, we “sold” 2x4s in the community, and those 2x4s were used as the studs to build the wall in her house. Each stud had a message for Shirley, Rashad, and Elijah. Some were scripture, some were congratulations, and some were just the family signing their name. Of course, once the sheetrock went up, you could no longer see them, but we all knew they were there. About a month ago, I saw Rashad and we talked about Habitat; we talked about all the messages on the walls of his house that not very many people even know about. The first Thanksgiving after Ms. Shirley’s house was completed, I just happened to be driving past her house and saw all these cars everywhere in her driveway and yard. It was Thanksgiving Day, and knowing she, Rashad, and Elijah were in their home, surrounded by family and friends, having a Thanksgiving meal made me so very happy for them. To me, that is what it is all about.”
Mrs. Craig states that she sees Habitat continuing to help the community and explains: “In the words of Charlie James, “ Habitat is there to give a hand up, not a handout. ”We are here to help our community members get into affordable homeownership and out of sub-standard housing, overcrowding, or whatever the situation. Many people do not really know just how hard it is to qualify for homeownership. They must go through a lengthy process. We are there to help them through that process. Hopefully, over the next 30 years, we will continue to help people see the dream of homeownership and build more relationships with all the families.”
It is a comfort to know that so many individuals with compassion for others make up our community.
“The heart of a volunteer is never measured in size, but by the depth of the commitment to make a difference in the lives of others.” –Deann Hollis.