By Robert Medley
Managing Editor
The first home in Cornerstone Creek, a new affordable housing addition in the Piedmont School District, has been dedicated.
There was a ceremony Thursday, Sept. 12 with sunny, warm weather.
It is the Central Oklahoma Habitat for Humanity first home dedication, and a mother and her daughter have a new home.
On Thursday, Sept. 12 the home was blessed and dedicated with Central Oklahoma Habitat for Humanity’s Chairman and CEO Ann Felton Gilliland, and family members of the new homeowner, Diamond W., at the housing addition on the southwest corner of N. Morgan Road and NW 150th in far northwest Oklahoma City. The dedication included an open house at its new address, 14621 Bedrock Lane.
It is one of 450 new houses being built on streets with Oklahoma City water and utility services on land that was farmland for decades.
The biggest development by Habitat for Humanity, Cornerstone Creek, is in the Piedmont Public Schools district. More traffic in the area is expected as population increases in Oklahoma City’s Ward 1 that borders City of Piedmont city limits.
Cornerstone Creek’s first homeowner, Diamond W., smiled and displayed her new house keys to about 40 well-wishers on Thursday, Sept. 12, who enthusiastically cheered the young single mother’s accomplishment of helping to build and buy her first home at cost and without a down payment through Central Oklahoma Habitat for Humanity (COHFH).
“I just want to thank every one of you for playing a part in my now forever home – whether you helped by watching my child while I worked, or whether it was putting a shingle on my house,” Diamond W. said, “I just know I’m extremely thankful for you all from the bottom of my heart … especially in this economy with everything going up, but the pay per hour. I thank Rebecca (Kendall) for choosing me to have the opportunity – not only to give myself a home, but to give my child a home to grow up in.
“And I want to thank you, Ann (Felton Gilliland), for everything you have done. It is such a blessing!”
Diamond W., with her 14-month-old daughter, Demi, on her hip, was later interviewed by several stations and gave tours of her well-built and energy-efficient house to the visitors, friends and family who attended the celebration. Habitat’s home dedications are traditionally held after a new home is built, but before a family moves in. As a Department of Human Services Child Protective Services employee for the past two years, Diamond W.’s daughter will someday be able to attend Piedmont, Oklahoma’s excellent school district.
Special guests added warm wishes and congratulations during the dedication, including Ward 1 Oklahoma City Councilman Bradley Carter, Oklahoma House Rep. Denise Crosswhite Hader and Maxwell Supply Company Chairman Jerry Thomason, as well as his son, Maxwell Supply Company President Charlie Thomason. Maxwell Supply Company sponsored the home build for Diamond W.’s home making it the seventh home build the company has sponsored in the past 17 years.
Habitat and various groups of community members also presented Diamond W. with house-warming gifts, including the Edmond Board of Realtors, Malarkey Roofing Products, Supermercados Morelos and The Order of the Daughters of the King. Miracle Revival Center Church Rev. Johnny Nubine gave a rousing house blessing and dedication and COHFH Board Member Gary Houghton led a litany.
Chair/CEO Ann Felton Gilliland said Cornerstone Creek’s first home dedication was well attended and is especially meaningful to Habitat staff, volunteers and donors because it marks an important milestone in Habitat’s over 35-year history.
“Our home dedication was a celebratory event that recognizes our partnership with Diamond W. and the hard work she and her family put into building her new house,” Felton Gilliland said. “Diamond’s new house is the first completed at Cornerstone Creek, but this is just the beginning of our plans for Cornerstone Creek. This is our 1,103rd house built by Habitat since 1990 and our fourth affordable housing development.
“We plan to eventually build 450 new homes during the next six to eight years on our 160-acre lot at Cornerstone Creek, topped off by three parks with workout stations and a gazebo.”
For more information, call 405-232-4828 or go to www.cohfh.org.
Kevan Goff-Parker contributed to this report.
