Habitat
for Humanity
History

PCHfh Home
Building History

Equal Housing
Opportunity Lender

Putnam County Affiliate History

In December of 1994, Rev. Charles McCaskey called together the first meeting of a group of caring citizens to discuss the possibility of bringing Habitat for Humanity in Cookeville. In early 1995, the affiliation process began, with Dr. Bill Edwards heading a steering committee and working committees formed. By May of that year, the process was completed and Putnam County Habitat for Humanity was an official affiliate.

Jeff Bass was named the first Chairman of the Board of Directors and a few months later American Way Real Estate and Brown Properties donated a lot on Eller Ridge Road for the first Putnam County Habitat home to be built . Fleetguard provided the funding for this home, which was completed in 1996 and housed a single mom and her six children.

In 1997, Trinity Assembly of God became the second PCHFH home sponsor. In the same year Board Member John Clemons presented the idea of a Gumbo lunch for a fundraiser and in October the first Cooking on the Square was held. The same year, J&S Construction approached PCHFH with the idea to build a home in one day in conjunction with their 40th business anniversary. The proposal led to a one-day blitz build held on December 12, 1997.

Since then dozens of community groups, churches, and businesses have contributed to providing more than 40 families an affordable, safe, and decent home.

In the fall of 2000, Putnam County Habitat for Humanity hosted the Mid-America Regional Conference. Hundreds of individuals representing volunteers, staff, and board members of affiliates in Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio and Indiana joined together to learn and grow. HFH Founders Millard and Linda Fuller also came to town for the event.

In February 2003, a new development began west of Cookeville. The subdivision was named Judy's Place in honor of Judy Dronebarger, former volunteer, board member, and staff member. The road was named Edwards Lane in honor of Dr. Bill Edwards, long-time supporter and former board member. This development is now home to eight PCHFH Habitat Partner families.

2003 was also the year we opened a Habitat ReStore and purchased a building to house the administrative offices and the ReStore. The ReStore continues to grow each year providing additional funding for our ministry. The same year, PCHFH hosted HFH's Annual Summer Youth Blitz Build program, one of two held each summer in the U.S.

The final home was completed on Burks Lane (dedicated in honor of the late State Senator Tommy Burks) located east of Cookeville in 2005. This development began in 1998 and is now home to eleven families. In 2005, PCHFH was invited to host the HFH Summer Youth Blitz Build once again.

Each year more lives are impacted as more homes continue to be built as we work to rid Putnam County of poverty housing while providing those in need the opportunity to own safe, decent, and affordable housing.

Mission:
Habitat for Humanity works in partnership with God and people everywhere, from all walks of life, to develop communities with God's people in need by building and renovating houses so that there are decent houses in decent communities in which people can live and grow into all that God intended.

Purpose:
The official purposes of Habitat for Humanity are:

• to partner with specific programs in habitat development globally, by constructing modest but adequate housing,

• to associate with other organizations functioning with purposes consistent with those of Habitat as stated in the Articles of Incorporation, and

• to witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ throughout the world.

Goal:
The ultimate goal of Habitat for Humanity is to eliminate poverty housing and homelessness from the face of the earth by constructing and building adequate and basic housing. Furthermore, all our words and actions are for the ultimate purpose of putting shelter on the hearts and minds of people in such a powerful way that poverty housing and homelessness become socially, politically and religiously unacceptable in our nations and world.