Macomb County Habitat for Humanity Suffers a Very Low Blow

If Macomb County Habitat for Humanity volunteers had a hammer, they’d hammer in the morning, the evening and throughout the day to help some of metro Detroit’s most vulnerable citizens.

But they don’t.

The organization’s only working generator and thousands of dollars worth of tools were stolen from a locked truck parked at a build site at 25150 Blair in Roseville.

“Every day we work tremendously hard to raise money for every piece of wood, every nail, every sheet of drywall,” an outraged Ruselda Johnson, the organization’s vice president of corporate and fiscal affairs, said.

“We do this because we believe in the mission and in the spirit of families who want a hand up – not a hand out,” she said. “To see our work stalled because of theft really hurts our work.”

The theft means work will be temporarily halted on the home while the organization shifts its focus to fund-raising to cover the $5,000 insurance deductible.

“I’m so sad,” Johnson said.

The home being built at the site is funded by Thrivent Financial and is being constructed primarily by Habitat’s Women Build, a group of dedicated women who have worked on homes since the nonprofit’s first year.

When it’s complete, it will be occupied by a partner family who hae worked hard to save for the down payment and qualify for a 20-year mortgage, Executive Director Helen Hicks said.

Hicks is hoping that the community will rally to the support of the family and to the charity.  

“We have hundreds of corporate volunteers who spend hours working on our homes,” she said. “Perhaps they will help us raise these funds and get us back to our work of serving others.”

How to Help:

• Donations may be made online at www.macombhabitat.org. Checks can be mailed to 130 N. Groesbeck, Mt. Clemens, MI  48043.  To assist on the Blair project, please contact (586) 263.1540.