Silverdale Partners To Build Homes
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – For six years, Silverdale Baptist Church has partnered with Habitat for Humanity of Greater Chattanooga to help local families achieve homeownership through the organization’s Faith Built Homes program.
This week, volunteers from Silverdale were back on the build site, working alongside Habitat staff to help bring a new home to life for a local family.
The Faith Built Homes initiative connects churches directly to Habitat projects, providing volunteer labor, financial support, and community involvement.
Kristie Buchanan, a volunteer with Silverdale Baptist Church, said serving through the church allows large groups to make a meaningful impact.
“One of the great advantages of being part of a church the size of Silverdale Baptist is just that there’s so many hands to help an outreaches in mission work like this so many hands make light work,” (Buchanan).
Homeowner Muhyiddin Osman said seeing so many volunteers show up was especially meaningful for his family.
“What I see on the ground right now we have a lot of people from silverdale baptist church they came out to give us help and this is something we cannot see everywhere this is something that really telling us about the Americans,” (Osman).
Osman said the new home will provide space his family does not currently have, including a bedroom for his young son.
“Where we live right now we don’t have enough bedrooms I think although he doesn’t understand all this as he’s 2 ½ years old so he will be so excited at least we’re gonna make sure that he has his own room,” (Osman).
Jens Christensen, CEO of Habitat for Humanity of Greater Chattanooga, said long-standing partnerships like the one with Silverdale Baptist Church are essential to making projects like this possible.
“We’ve been blessed with the partnership of so many folks from Silverdale for so many years I don’t I’m just gonna tell you the truth we couldn’t do it without them it means everything to have such faithful volunteers who come alongside us not only with their time but with their financial support with their volunteerism with their prayer it means everything to us,” (Christensen).
Christensen said the most rewarding moments come at different stages of the process.
“My three favorite days the day the family comes into the program we get to meet them the day that we break ground on the house because you get to see that incredible hope and then the day that we actually dedicate the Home when we’re finished,” (Christensen).
The Faith Built Homes project is expected to be completed in approximately eight to twelve weeks.
