RUTHERFORD COUNTY, TN - Rutherford County Area Habitat for Humanity (RCHFH) and the three Rotary Clubs of Rutherford County will come together for the 6th Annual “Rotary Builds” Habitat Panel Build on Saturday, February 8, 9am – 2pm. The special event with the local Rotary Clubs will be at the Lane Agri-Park in Murfreesboro, TN. 

During the upcoming event, there will be over 100 volunteers from the Rotary Club of Smyrna, The Rotary Club of Murfreesboro, and the Murfreesboro Breakfast Rotary Club, who will work together to build ALL of the exterior and interior wall panels for a Habitat house in just 5 hours! As the walls are built, they will be used to construct a Habitat for Humanity house inside the Agri-Park building! This exciting event marks the sixth  time that all three Rotary Clubs are coming together for a common mission of building affordable housing for Rutherford County residents. 

A unique feature for this particular Habitat panel build, is that all ages will be participating, with some volunteers as young as 14 working side-by-side with their parents and friends. Rotarians who are participating have signed up for 1-hour shifts and they will work hand-in-hand with other Rotarians as well as the Habitat Future Homeowner, Paterica (“Patra”).

After this event, the walls will be moved to RCHFH’s Legacy Pointe subdivision community on Twin Oak Drive in Murfreesboro, and construction will start soon after on the house for the future homeowner, who again, will also be on hand during the Panel Build. In addition to seeing the walls laid out and “touring” the house with Patra, volunteers will write words of encouragement and congratulations on the wall studs. 

Like many Habitat Future Homeowners, Patra has faced high rental housing costs and does not qualify for a traditional mortgage. She and her three daughters have lived with family or moved from place to place depending on what was most affordable. The challenge of finding housing left her discouraged and exhausted. Patra found out about the Habitat program when her employer, Schwan Cosmetics, had an employee Volunteer Day with Habitat. Some of her Schwan co-workers will also be at the Panel Build and they are sponsoring lunch for the volunteers.

Many Habitat families pay over 50% of their monthly income on rental housing alone – leaving little money for other family needs. Through the Habitat program, they will not pay more than 30% of their monthly income on housing – and that will be to buy their home and acquire wealth equity.

The Panel Build will end at about 2:30 p.m. on February 8 with a group photo of volunteers prior to loading the walls for transporting  to Legacy Pointe. This house construction is part of Phase Two at the affordable housing subdivision in Murfreesboro. RCHFH has built 38 homes at Legacy Pointe. RCHFH has built 203 homes across Rutherford County since 1989.

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.