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By Leah Sander
InkFreeNews
ROCHESTER — Fulton County Habitat for Humanity finally has room to keep all of its building materials in one place.
The Fulton County Chamber of Commerce had a ribbon cutting for Habitat’s new building at 917 Franklin Ave., Rochester, on Thursday, May 2.
Not only is there room for storage in it, but also meeting space for Habitat board members and people being helped.
Habitat Board President Andrew Horstman said the board previously met at Grace Church in Rochester.
“We had no office space to talk with potential families or anything, and storage was spread out all over the place, so (the new building) brought everything under one roof,” he said.
Habitat started using the building Jan. 1 though it wasn’t finished until more recently.
Habitat Board Member Karmin Reeves said First Federal Savings Bank of Rochester and its late President and CEO Dick Belcher donated the lot to Habitat.
“When COVID-19 hit … we saw this as, why don’t we use this … as a building for storage and then that developed into a conference room, bathroom and office, and that would get everything out of every place,” said Reeves.
The building was paid for using American Rescue Plan Act money, Fulton County had received from the federal government and grant funds from the Northern Indiana Community Foundation.
House of Decor of Rochester donated tile for the floor, and an individual gave furniture for the building.
Reeves said Habitat got a $1,000 Fulton County REMC Operation Round Up grant, which paid for carpeting.
The Skiles family, whose home is currently being built in Rochester via Habitat, completed some of their required community service hours by helping install the carpet at the office building.
Reeves said some teenage Habitat volunteers also helped by painting.
“It takes a village, a Fulton County village to help support Habitat, and we really appreciate all of those who have supported us,” she said.
Horstman encouraged people to help out on a Habitat work day. They may learn more by messaging Fulton County Habitat for Humanity’s Facebook page or visiting fultoncountyhabitatforhumanity.org.
