Murfreesboro, TN – Middle Tennessee residents will have a chance to get their fill of delicious chili, soup, stew and gumbo from over 35 cooking teams at the 15th Annual Cookin’ To Build event on Saturday, Nov. 5, 11am – 1:00 pm, on the Murfreesboro Town Square. The popular food event raises money for Rutherford County Area Habitat for Humanity to help build safe, energy-efficient, and affordable homes for families across Rutherford County.

Cooking teams from organizations, groups, churches, schools and local businesses prepare the food for free, as a way to help support the Habitat for Humanity mission. Teams also vie for the Golden Bowl Award as attendees vote for their favorites. Previous winners include Site Hawk, Dani Amendola, The Rutherford County Sheriff’s Department, Mid South Bank, Oakland Middle School and Hammer Down for Habitat.

This is the 15th year for the popular Cookin’ To Build event, which is held every year in early November. Tickets for the event are $30 and include a pottery bowl and an event tote bag to take home, “all you can eat” from the food booths, free dessert and drinks and musical entertainment.

Sponsors for the 2022 Cookin To Build event include: Title Sponsor Atmos Energy, Platinum Sponsor Nissan USA, and Golden Bowl Sponsor Redstone FCU. Additional funding is from the Knights of Columbus, Redeemer Classical Academy, The Jennings and Rebecca Jones Foundation, Volunteer State Bank, Pinnacle Financial Partners, The Pottery Place, Fully Promoted, 615 Signs, Au Pair of America, Wilson Bank & Trust, Kroger, Heritage South, First Bank, Sims Lifecycle Services and Magnolia Medical Center. Sponsorships plus early ticket sales have already raised over $25,000 this year!

Habitat does not give houses away but instead helps families who earn 40-80% of the area median income (AMI) buy a home through a low-interest mortgage, so they can build wealth equity and provide a better future for their family. Future Homeowners attend 30 hours of Financial Literacy and Homeowner Education and complete 300-400 hours of sweat equity. Habitat Homeowners are then equipped to sustain their home, manage their money and many move out of a cycle of poverty. RCHFH currently has 20 Future Homeowners going through the program who will be eligible for a Habitat house in 2023-24.

About Rutherford County Area Habitat for Humanity (RCHFH) - Rutherford County Area Habitat for Humanity, a non-profit, non-denominational Christian housing ministry, seeks to bring people together to build homes, communities, and hope.  This is done through building quality, energy-efficient, affordable houses while partnering alongside working families. Homes are built by RCHFH construction staff, Future Homeowners, and community volunteers.  After a home is completed, it is sold to the family at no profit with an affordable monthly mortgage.