We held our Key Ceremony to share the joy of a new Habitat homeowner receiving the keys to their new home on June 5th. It’s an event that holds much significance for the new Habitat family involved but also our affiliate employees and volunteers that work very hard behind the scenes.
For the new Habitat family, it is a hand up and not a handout. They start the process of making payments towards their mortgage and building their own equity instead of paying rent.
For the employees and volunteers, it’s a chance to see the finished product and what their hard work and efforts went into. As the CEO, I take this part of the process very seriously, so that the entire organization sees the connection between what they do on a daily basis to the outcome in terms of the home. But more than that, they also see firsthand the joy the family experiences when they receive the keys to their new home. It’s important enough that we close the ReStore so that employees and volunteers can go to the Key Ceremony and be witness to that joy and feel recognized for their efforts. If you ask employees and volunteers what they do, they will reply “I help build homes”. It’s that sense of connection to their role that ensures they are focused on the ultimate outcome of their hard work.
It also gives everyone a chance to witness the special Habitat tradition where we present the new Habitat homeowner with a housewarming gift that contains the following –
BREAD – that this house may never know hunger,
SALT – that life may always have flavour,
WINE – that joy and prosperity may reign forever,
HONEY – that you will enjoy the sweetness of life,
OLIVE OIL – that you are blessed with health and well-being, and
CANDLE – that light will guide you through the darkest times.
All told, it’s a special moment for everyone and as donors, one where we would like to see you attend and experience the joy that Habitat for Humanity PEH can provide to a family, and to a larger extent – our community.