Sheryl Vittitoe, John Morrow and Teryl Viner [Photo: Kaila Jones]

Donors built upon their foundation of generosity for Indian River Habitat for Humanity during a recent Orchid Island Habitat House cocktail party at the home of Teryl Viner.

While mingling over cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, Habitat supporters celebrated another successful year of helping individuals realize their dreams of owning a home. Since 2001 the residents of Orchid Island have helped to build 29 homes, cementing not only the construction of homes but also transforming the lives of future generations.

Members of this tightly knit community provide financial assistance, work on homes in Fellsmere’s Grace Meadows Community and volunteer at the Habitat ReStore so that Habitat homeowners may achieve the strength, stability and independence needed to create better lives for their families.

“What a beautiful evening and what a beautiful group of people who have gathered to support Indian River Habitat,” said Sheryl Vittitoe, IRHH president/CEO. “Orchid Island has supported Indian River Habitat for almost 20 years, and did you know that Orchid Island has literally helped construct and financially support nearly 30 homes for working families in need of an affordable house right here in Indian River County? Thank you for your continuous and generous support.”

Having communities support one another is very impactful, said Vittitoe.

“Generationally, some of these Habitat homebuyers haven’t grown up in a family where their grandparents or parents were homeowners. This is really the first generation of establishing some wealth for future generations in homeownership.”

Vittitoe said one of the homes Orchid helped build last year was for an Orchid Island employee, enabling the children to spend their first Thanksgiving and Christmas in their own home.

“They are actually really thriving in that Habitat home,” said Vittitoe. “That’s what community to community really is all about.”

“We have a lot of opportunities to support many different charities,” said John Morrow, Orchid Habitat committee chair. “Every day your mailbox is packed with appeals. Quite a few of us that are intimately involved with Habitat feel strongly that the funding goes locally.”

Morrow said having that personal connection makes a difference.

“We actually go to the home dedication and we meet the people. Last year the little boy grabbed our hands and said, ‘Come here. I want to show you my room. It’s the first time I ever had a room all by myself.’ It’s moving,” said Morrow. “You say, wow, I donated my time to help build the house, but that makes it real. That real part makes a big difference for us. We can touch it, we can feel it and we can see the difference that it makes.”

Morrow appreciates the Habitat objective of breaking the poverty cycle for that little boy and others, noting, “He’s going to be in a safe environment. He’s going to get past the poverty level and he won’t need anybody’s help.”

In addition to opening her home for the celebration, Viner created a painting from her waterfront studio that was auctioned off. The piece featured a birdhouse, symbolizing a Habitat home, and across the bottom of the painting she had written, “I dream of a land where bluebirds and angels play among the flowers, and every family has a home.”

“Teryl is a very giving person,” said Morrow. “If you want to buy a piece of her artwork, she’ll be more than happy to sell it to you, but that money is donated to a charity of her choice. She’s quite wonderful.”

Next up is a March 14 Habitat Island Gala fundraiser at Grand Harbor Beach Club. For more information, visit irchabitat.org.