“Building a Legacy” Florida Times Union, April 11, 2008 With 20 years and 1,555 homes built under its tool belt, there might be a tendency for Habitat for Humanity Jacksonville to rest on its laurels. Hardly. The home- and dream-building organization is celebrating 20 years of work and is making its way through an ambitious schedule that will see 120 new homes closed by the time its fiscal year ends on June 30. Among the projects is an upcoming home that will get the green light as HabiJax's first-ever Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certified home. This will designate the home as environmentally friendly in both product and procedure while helping to educate homeowners to the idea that all homes can be "green.'' Work on the home, located on 18th St. E., will begin April 19 and end seven weeks later. It will be 1,161 square feet and equipped with three bedrooms and two bathrooms. The home also will be only the fourth "Women Build'' effort for HabiJax in which only women do the work. The project will be overseen by Mary Tappouni, president of Breaking Ground Contracting. Tappouni said she was contacted after HabiJax officials read about her in The Times-Union and was happy to be involved in what will be a silver certified LEED home. "It's a huge honor they contacted us,'' Tappouni, who has been in business more than 10 years, said. "I have supported them in the past but this is my first HabiJax project and we are learning a lot.'' "It will be one of our new-styled homes with brick on the front,'' said HabiJax President and CEO Mary Kay O'Rourke, who noted the organization currently has a variety of 12 styles. The effect of a HabiJax residence can be heard in the voice of its future owner, Tonya Daniels, a single mother of two. "Oh, Lordy, I am the lucky one,'' said Daniels, who soon will enroll at Florida Community College at Jacksonville looking for an associate in arts degree in office administration. "It's going to mean everything because I never thought I would be a homeowner. I didn't give up, I just didn't think I would be one.'' Daniels has been so excited about her opportunity, she completed her required 300 hours of HabiJax "sweat equity'' in just two months, and that led to the motivation to get her AA degree. "I thought if I could find time for that (the sweat equity work) that I could find the time to go to school. That's what you call determination,'' she said. The environmentally friendly home is only one step in what HabiJax anticipates being a year that sees another 80 homes being built. Another highlight will be the Paris Villages development slated for the city's northwest side. Several plans will be offered on three parcels of land over two blocks. It will be the first time HabiJax has attempted to not only build its traditional home, but will offer higher end products for those with income supporting homes between $120,000 and $150,000. According to O'Rourke, there will be 12 HabiJax homes and 26 non-traditional HabiJax homes ranging in size from about 1,200 square feet to 1,700 square feet. "This is a new entity for us in that not only will we have the typical HabiJax homeowner, but some homeowners who will get private mortgages,'' O'Rourke said. The project will start in September and is scheduled for completion in May 2010. O'Rourke said she believes between 3,000 to 4,000 people will eventually see duty on it. The project fits into the organization's future plans for "sustainable communities'' that will see income diversity and a mix of services available. "We need to expand our mission to incorporate neighborhoods and not only homes,'' said David Strickland, HabiJax board chairman, "The concept involves more planning on our part. There is an incredible need for better housing for lower- and middle-income people.'' In between those projects, HabiJax intends to open a new "ReStore'' near the corner of Beach Boulevard and University Boulevard which will offer building supplies for sale to the public and contractors (see Sidebar). To cap off the 20th year, O'Rourke is looking forward to next March and its signature Raise The Roof gala which will be part of the organization's fund-raising efforts. While over the years HabiJax has helped thousands with the help of thousands more, everything is needed as the organization evolves. "This (the future plans) is in addition to our core mission,'' said Beth Carper, director of marketing. "We're always looking for home buyers who want to invest in their future; sponsors to partner with families; and volunteers to help their neighbors realize a dream.''