Habitat for Humanity dedicates six homes

Six families now have new homes thanks to the hard work of Marquette County’s Habitat for Humanity.

A ceremony to dedicate the new houses was held and Immanuel Lutheran Church in Negaunee Thursday night.

The ceremony honored the families that will soon move into their new homes and showed how being a homeowner is an important part of life.  The homes could not have been built without the help of the homeowners themselves, but also many volunteers who have worked for months finishing each house.

“The biggest thing is they (the volunteers) are giving up their free time, and I know how hard it is giving up my free time going to my job, and spending my days off working on the house,” Will Schiefel said.  “You’re spending time away from your family and your friends working on the houses so I know how much it is first hand to give away your free time.”

“And (the volunteers) want to.  They really want to help people, and that makes you want to try and help too, and other people in the community.  It’s one thing after another…I helped this guy, this guy helps another person so it’s very inspiring.”

Schiefel, his wife Jenny, and their three children will be moving into a home in Gwinn.  “Hopefully we’ll be able to stay in this house for the rest of our lives.”

Charles Eberhard will also be moving to Gwinn with his wife and young daughter.

“We got a brand new house for pretty much nothing but a life ahead of us,” he said.  “It hasn’t really hit me yet.  We go there every day, but you don’t really recognize it until you’re actually there (at the house).”

The families will able to move into their new homes in Ishpeming, Negaunee, and Gwinn next week.  They all received baskets full of items from Habitat’s board members as a housewarming gift.

Since 1993, Habitat for Humanity has built 90 homes in Marquette County.