| The Dreiling family, Rodney, Anngee, Gage, Kegan, and Berkleah pose in the doorway of their new home |
Rodney and Anngee Dreiling have new jobs and a new address. The couple, along with their three children, Gage, Kegan, and Berkleah will be moving to Wellington this week, where they became homeowners for the first time. They are the fourth family to be living in a Habitat for Humanity home in Castle Country, which includes both Carbon and Emery counties.
The Dreilings were welcomed at their new home Sunday by the Habitat for Humanity board as well as friends and family.
Habitat for Humanity has been around since the former President Jimmy Carter was in office. Now, some 26 years later, Habitat for Humanity International operates in more than 3,000 communities in over 80 countries.
It is a program that provides housing that has been operating in Carbon and Emery counties, through the local affiliate of Habitat for Humanity for 13 years.
Habitat for Humanity is a people-to-people partnership drawing families and communities in need together with volunteers and resources to build decent, affordable housing for people in need of adequate shelter. Habitat is committed to the development and uplifting of families and communities, not only to the construction of houses.
The Dreilings volunteered about 100 hours before they moved into their new home in Wellington. Rodney helped paint, fix the siding and patched the walls on the home. Anngee volunteered her time in the office, which is located in the county building in downtown Price.
This is the second family that has occupied this particular home.
All of our homes in this area have been built as new structures but Habitat for Humanity does renovate and repair simple, decent and affordable housing for people who are living in inadequate housing and who are unable to secure adequate housing by conventional means.
The Habitat program selects homeowner families based on their need for adequate shelter, their ability to pay for the home, and their willingness to partner with Habitat for Humanity. All homeowners contribute “sweat equity,” which means they partner with the local group of volunteers to complete the local housing project.
Sylvia Nelson, chairperson of the local group, welcomed the family and gave an overview of the program and the home. Nelson explained that everything in the house has been donated. Pastor Shawn Bagley was on hand to welcome the family.
In many communities churches are the primary sponsors and advocates of the Habitat program, but in Castle country there are several churches that have developed a relationship with the program. Habitat does operate completely through donations.