In a partnership established with the Sussex County affiliate in the fall of 2007, students and teachers from Delmarva Christian High School committed to building the last home in Concord Village, Habitat’s subdivision near Seaford presently housing 18 families. The house at Lot 1 in Concord Village is expected to be completed in May and will become a home for Maria Benitez and her four children.

Known as the “J-term,” each January, for academic credit, Delmarva Christian High School (DCHS) students dedicate three weeks for educational or service projects of their choice. The J-term provides DCHS students with unique opportunities for ministry and experience that will help them determine God's will for their lives. The reason the J-term is so special is that it ties in directly with the school's mission statement: DCHS trains students spiritually, academically, and physically to know and to do God's will. During the January 2010 term, 28 students and several teachers, who had the opportunity to travel for other mission projects, chose to volunteer for Habitat in their own community.

Another unique part of this project is the service-learning aspect. Before the build began, Tommy Williams, Sussex County Habitat Youth Coordinator, led discussions with the students, focusing on Habitat’s background and the importance of service and community involvement. The students then put their discussions into practice by working with trained carpenters and the AmeriCorps Construction team to frame the entire house inside DCHS’s Tech Building. Since OSHA Regulations prohibit anyone under the age of 18 to use power tools, each nail in the framework was driven by hand.

The mission of the Sussex County Habitat for Humanity (SCHFH) affiliate, a nonprofit Christian housing ministry, is to build simple, decent, and affordable houses in partnership with low-income families in Sussex County.

According to the Delaware State Housing Authority, over 4,300 Sussex County families live in substandard conditions, which are defined as housing needing repairs or replacements of at least two major structural systems. In response to this growing need for low-income housing, SCHFH is working hard to engage the community in building simple, decent, and affordable homes.

Since 1991, through volunteer labor and donations of money and materials, the Georgetown affiliate has built 48 homes in Sussex County. Seventy adults and 127 children live in Habitat homes.

You can be part of the solution of building an affordable home with a Sussex County family. For more information about how to volunteer, sponsor a family, or donate, contact the Habitat office in Georgetown at (302) 855-1153 or visit www.sussexcountyhabitat.org.