Family gets keys to first local Habitat for Humanity house

Local resident Staci Horner and her two young sons will soon move into the home they have built with the help of Habitat for Humanity volunteers, donors and staff. A dedication ceremony on Saturday, February 5 at Union Chapel marked the near-completion of the county’s first Habitat house project and the beginning of Horner’s new status as a homeowner.

Icy roads kept supporters and volunteers from taking a tour of the home in southern Morgan County, but Horner plans to hold an open house later in the month.

Work on the house site started last March and is about to wrap up, with only some plumbing yet to be completed, said Horner. The three-bedroom house will be a nice change from the one-bedroom apartment where Horner lives with sons River and Lakota. She is eager to settle the boys into their new home.

“It’s super-encouraging to see the community come together in this build,” said Ashley Laton, Habitat for Humanity of the Eastern Panhandle’s Executive Director.

Horner’s home is the 31st home build by Habitat in the Eastern Panhandle since 1993.

“Staci is the shining example of what a Habitat family partner should be,” said Laton.

Habitat for Humanity is seeking applications for future Morgan County house projects. The group has three lots in downtown Berkeley Springs where it can build. Residents interested in finding out more about how to qualify and what is required of them should contact Ashley Laton at 304-263-3154.