Habitat Home Dedication: Welcome Home, Griffins!

“I’m grateful, thank you,” Marchalla said while standing next to Habitat CEO Madelyn Peay during the Habitat home dedication ceremony on Tuesday, March 21.

Marchalla’s home marks the 380th Richmond habitat home built since its start, and it took 136 volunteers dedicating 198 shifts to get it to where it is today. 

Marchalla works as an in-home homecare service specialist, helping seniors and hospice patients comfortably remain in their homes. She is also the single mother of a 20-year-old daughter with autism. Marchalla cannot wait to move into her beautiful new home, which will provide her and her daughter with the stability, safety, and security they’ve always hoped for.

“I want you guys to know this means a lot to my daughter…she’s been asking for us to move into a home for 6 years…I was so happy to give her the good news,” Marchalla said when she was first accepted into the Habitat program. 

Approved applicants like Marchalla must complete 10 financial and homeownership education classes, attend monthly one-on-one budgeting sessions, and dedicate 350 hours of “sweat equity” volunteer time with Habitat. 

The Retex team volunteered on this Habitat build site three times in the last few months, and it’s been incredible to not only see the house’s transformation, but the family who will get to make it a home going forward. Thank you, Richmond Habitat, for letting us participate in this home dedication ceremony.

We love volunteering with our friends at Habitat, and these home dedication ceremonies round out why we do what we do.