Habitat for Humanity – A Roundabout Atlanta Partner

At Roundabout Atlanta, we are happy to partner with a wide range of organizations and we value each one of our partnerships. As part of a community that proudly works together to lift each other up, we are excited to share about all of our Atlanta partners as we highlight each one in a blog post! Today we feature Atlanta Habitat for Humanity. We’ll share with you a little about who they are, what they do and how they got started.

Who is Atlanta Habitat for Humanity and What Do They Do?

Habitat for Humanity is a non-profit organization that works with local communities to provide housing for those in need. They operate globally, both throughout the entire United States as well as in approximately 70 countries around the world. Habitat for Humanity functions under the central belief that access to decent stable housing provides the necessary foundation to be able to break the poverty cycle. The vision of Habitat for Humanity is “of a world where everyone has a decent place to live.”

The way Habitat works towards this goal is by joining the forces of homeowners and volunteers to build decent, affordable housing together. Once the families move in, they also ensure that the mortgage payments on the house are affordable.

The Habitat for Humanity Atlanta branch has been operating since 1983 and is the largest affordable single-family housing non-profit in the Atlanta Metropolitan area. Atlanta Habitat has not only helped thousands of Atlanta families obtain homeownership over the decades, they also go “beyond-the-build”, implementing programs to revitalize neighborhoods and aid and encourage homeowners in their educational and professional development.

History of Habitat for Humanity

Habitat for Humanity’s beginnings trace back to a rural farm outside of Americus, Georgia. A Christian intentional community, Koinonia Farm was co-founded in 1942 by Clarence Jordan, a biblical scholar and farmer. At Koinonia Farm, visiting families and individuals were invited to live on the farm and “serve a period of apprenticeship in developing community life on the teachings and principles of Jesus.”

Millard and Linda Fuller were two such visitors who joined the community and it was at the farm that they came up with the idea of a “partnership housing” program. The program concept involved volunteers working with those in need of shelter to build adequate, affordable housing together. The first home built under the Koinonia Partnership Housing Program was for a family of seven who had, up until then, been living in an uninsulated shack with no plumbing. Together they built a concrete block house with indoor plumbing, heating and a contemporary kitchen.

In 1973, the Fullers took their vision abroad, to the Democratic Republic of Congo. After a successful three years in DRC launching the housing program there, the Fullers came back stateside and officially founded Habitat for Humanity International in 1976. By 2019, Habitat for Humanity had helped over 29 million people around the world build or improve their housing.

How To Get Involved

Habitat for Humanity relies on the hard work and good will of volunteers to operate. Check out some ways you can get involved with Atlanta Habitat for Humanity and support their mission:

Sponsorship Opportunities: Whether you are looking to get your company or workplace involved, a church group or just a network of friends in the community, Atlanta Habitat for Humanity invites you to join their list of proud partners and donate your funds or time to support the cause. Learn more about sponsorship opportunities with Atlanta Habitat for Humanity.

Volunteer: Help make a family’s dream come true and work alongside homeowners and other volunteers to build, paint, renovate or fix housing. They also have volunteer opportunities available to work in their operations or ReStore, which are their donation-based home improvement stores. You can volunteer your time with Habitat for Humanity as an individual or with a group.

Young Professionals Membership: Another way to get involved with Atlanta Habitat for Humanity is through their membership program for young professionals, founded in 2016. Being part of the Atlanta Habitat Young Professionals group involves paying a yearly membership fee and participating in “service projects, monthly networking events, and personal/professional/leadership development.” Learn more about their young professionals program.