Habitat for Humanity Lakeside, a nonprofit affordable housing provider serving Sheboygan County, Wisconsin held a wall-raising ceremony for its 51st Sheboygan area home on Thursday, December 14, 2023 at 3:00 p.m. at 822 Oakland Avenue in Sheboygan. The ceremony, took place in beautiful, unseasonably warm weather, with Habitat representatives, Pastor Cristofe Guzmán of the Sheboygan Hispanic Sevent-Day Adventist Church, and future home buyer Adriana Hernandez Perez and her family in attendance.
“I am so grateful,” said Hernandez-Perez during the ceremony. “This is a dream come true. I don’t have the words to express how much this means.”
The wall-raising celebrated the building of the 51st home by Habitat for Humanity Lakeside, a special build designed to accommodate future accessibility needs of the daughter, who lives with a degenerative muscular disease. It will be an ADA compliant, single story home set back far enough to add a ramp in front if eventually needed. The house will feature a roll-in shower, grab bars, wider doorways, suitable turning areas for a wheelchair, and an attached garage with alley entrance.
The inclusion of a garage will be a first for a Habitat Lakeside build. “Habitat homes are designed to be simple, decent, and affordable – and therefore typically do not include a garage,” said executive director Niki Zohrab. “However, we always customize each home to meet the specific needs of the family who will reside there, and in this instance a garage will provide accessibility for everyday activities, ensuring the house is a perfect fit.”
Groundbreaking for the home began in November, following removal of a large tree on the lot. The completion of the house and dedication are anticipated to take place in late spring of 2024. Plenty of volunteer opportunities still exist on this and many other projects.
This project is being funded by the generosity of donors. The lead sponsors are Drexel Building Supply and Sargento Foods. Other major sponsors include First Congregational United Church of Christ Sheboygan, Georgia Pacific, Masters Gallery Foods, Unity Spiritual Center, Sartori Company, U.S. Bank Foundation, Wells Fargo Foundation, Whirlpool, and Wisconsin Public Service Foundation. Additional funding is still being sought for the project. To learn more about how you can support or fund Habitat for Humanity Lakeside’s mission and housing programs in Sheboygan County, contact Niki Zohrab at 920-458-3399, ext. 302.
