Welcome Home: Gattis Court Dedication
On June 29, Orange Habitat celebrated the dedication of four new homes in Gattis Court. Located in the Historic Northside Neighborhood, Gattis Court is in the heart of the community and within walking distance of the Hargraves Community Center. Construction began on these homes in 2022, and soon, four families will be able to call Gattis Court home.
One of these homebuyers is Shareka, a current Chapel Hill resident and mother of two, who spoke at the dedication event. “I just want to thank everyone who played a huge part in this life-changing event of mine,” said Shareka. “I’ve always dreamed of having my own home; I grew up in a Habitat for Humanity home a couple streets over, so it meant a lot to me to be in the program as well. It’s been a struggle, but I made it!”
The Coastal Credit Union Foundation provided a $100,000 grant to help fund Gattis Court. “There’s something about the word belief that strikes an accord with me today. Especially with all the different partners that are here,” said Creighton Blackwell, Chief Culture & Impact Officer at Coastal Credit Union during the dedication celebration.
“Everyone here today had something to do with this project being done. You know why everyone did is because you believe in this community. You believed in each other. So, take the energy from this celebration and take it from when we talk about the things that we believe in because if the key is each other, we will always prosper. This is built because everyone here believed in you. And remember that belief does not stop today and how we continue it going forward.”
2024 marks Orange Habitat’s 40th anniversary as a Habitat for Humanity affiliate. Since 1984, Orange Habitat has impacted nearly 1,000 families locally and globally, building nearly 350 homes in Orange County. The four Gattis Court homes join the over 20 Habitat homes in the Northside neighborhood.