What can you do in a matter of seven days if you have the right team? For Habitat for Humanity and Treasure Coast Builders Association the answer was simple – build a dream home for a worthy family.
Army National Guardsman Chris Blackmon and his wife and three kids are that worthy family.
“This started out as a crazy idea eight short months ago,” said Jim Brann, TCBA president. The organization was eager to tackle a dream home project and provide the Blackmons with a safe, affordable place to live. “We pulled it off.”
Blackmon stood strong in front of the crowd last Friday during the house dedication ceremony. Holding a microphone, he told the audience that his goal had always been to own a home and to provide for his family. But obstacles kept getting in the way, obstacles they couldn’t overcome on their own.
“This is like a dream come true for this family,” Blackmon said. “It’s overwhelming.”
The four-bedroom home has a split floorplan, allowing the children to have their own rooms. Mr. and Mrs. Blackmon have their own sanctuary – a suite with his and her closets and a spacious bathroom.
Blackmon called the home a masterpiece and choked up.
“You saw in us something good,” he said of being selected for the home.
His wife, Latasha, struggled to keep her emotions in check while holding their baby girl.
“From the bottom of our hearts, thank you,” she said. “We are very blessed and very honored.”
The family is eagerly awaiting closing day so they can officially move in.
Currently, they live in a cramped, two-bedroom home in an unsafe neighborhood, according to TCBA. The family has reported hearing gunshots and has experienced a break-in, making them feel all the more vulnerable. The house in which they live is, itself, unsafe, TCBA and Habitat for Humanity said. The roof leaks, the floors are uneven, and the two bedrooms do not have doors. Infestations of rodents, bees, ants and spiders are all too common as well.
After the ceremony, the family stood by the front door and took in the moment.
“It’s very, very real,” Blackmon said. “It’s getting more real” by the minute.
He said they hope to move into the home in early October. And while some families might balk at moving mid-school year, the Blackmons said their boys, who attend a magnet school, will be able to remain at the school, so moving wasn’t an issue.
As for their first meal in their new home, Latasha said they haven’t thought that far ahead, yet. However, she suspects it’ll be something soulful.
“Macaroni and cheese – it’s a must,” she said, adding that her hubby loves oxtail, too, so that might very well be on the menu.
Regardless of what’s on the menu, she said she’s ready to use the kitchen.
“I love the kitchen!” Latasha said.
Their two boys, 9-year-old Chris Jr. and 8-year-old Ivan, were quick to choose their rooms – which, truth be told, are about the same size. However, one will have the bedroom nearest the laundry. The other will be nearest the bathroom.
Their baby sister, Londyn, will be in the bedroom between theirs.
The property where the Blackmon home was built is one of seven parcels the City of Port St. Lucie signed over to Habitat for Humanity for exactly this purpose – build affordable homes for families.
“The city is at its best when people put their hearts and hands into a worthy cause,” Mayor Gregory Oravec said during the dedication ceremony.
Neither Habitat for Humanity nor Treasure Coast Builders Association could have made the dream home a possibility in a matter of seven days if not for the support they received from the nearly 90 businesses and organizations that participated in some form or fashion.
“They fell over themselves,” TCBA past-president Bob Cenk said. Cenk also represented Homecrete Homes, one of the main sponsors for the project.
Other main sponsors and partners included the City of Port St. Lucie and Kirchmann Construction, along with Habitat for Humanity and Treasure Coast Builders Association.
