By Deana Meredith
The Central Virginian
May 27, 2004

Belinda Johnson had long dreamed of a home she could call her own for herself and her two sons— somewhere in the town of Louisa, close to where she has worked for the past 19 years since she can’t drive because of her poor eyesight.
At the end of March, her ardent prayers were answered when she and Draone, 14, and Keyon, 18, packed up their belongings and moved from the two-bedroom apartment they shared in the McDonald Street Apartments to their new three bedroom house on South St.
Though the move wasn’t far away, just down the street, really, Johnson couldn’t have been happier.
“Lord, it is some kind of beautiful,” she said. “It is like a dream home.”
Johnson first learned about the Louisa County Habitat for Humanity nearly two years ago from her cousin, Debbie Johnson, and saw the program as a way to possibly attain her dream. She attended a meeting to learn more about Habitat, then went through the application and qualification process.
There were several applicants hoping to be chosen for Louisa Habitat’s second housing project, and Johnson said that the staff at Habitat didn’t make any promises. However, Johnson’s desire for a yard for her children and granddaughter to play in drove her to seek approval.
“Every mother wants her own house for her children one day,” she said.
One afternoon, Johnson got a telephone call from Estelle Rainsford, director of Louisa County Habitat for Humanity. Rainsford was calling with good news—uttering the magic words, “You got approval.”
“I was just so happy and that made my day,” said Johnson. “I was excited.”
Almost immediately, Johnson dove in and began acquiring the sweat equity hours which all new Habitat home beneficiaries must contribute as part of the agreement. She embraced the project, and by the time work began on her own home, Johnson had more than met the sweat equity requirements.
Johnson and her sons helped build the first Louisa Habitat home awarded to Sherry Wright in the Walnut Woods Subdivision, worked on the von Hemert House next door to their own, and another on Red Hill Rd. in western Louisa that was being built by the Greater Charlottesville Habitat for Humanity, as well as their own house.
When Johnson first arrived on the Wright’s home site, all she could do was hand out nails to the volunteers and clean up trash.
Johnson gradually acquired the skills of the trade through hands-on training, eventually helping to hang sheet rock, install siding and trim, paint and frame a project.
“I got to learn a lot of stuff that I didn’t know how to do,” she said.
Although it was hard work, Johnson enjoyed the weekends she was off from her housekeeping job at the Louisa Healthcare Center. She particularly relished being with all of the volunteers and meeting different people throughout construction of each of the projects.
“It was really nice to see people working hard together, like a team,” she said. “Everybody was so friendly to you.”
The switch from apartment life to homeowner has been like a cathartic to Johnson, who said that in the cramped living conditions of an apartment community, there is always noise and people to contend with.
“Over here it’s quiet,” she said. “People are friendly and stay to themselves.”
Although Keyon wasn’t home when The Central Virginian interviewed Johnson, Draone was quick to share his feelings about living in a new house. In addition, being able to own pets now—he has acquired an iguana and a dog—Draone likes the fact that he doesn’t have to share a room with his older brother anymore.
The 1,050-square-foot house contains two levels, necessary because of the narrow steep slope of the lot. On the main floor are a large kitchen, dining area, living room, master bedroom and bath, while the basement area features two bedrooms and a laundry area.
“I like that the boys are downstairs and I’m upstairs,” she said. “And I can do my own laundry at home. That’s exciting.”
Habitat allowed Johnson to choose her own tile, carpet, kitchen cabinets and other interior items. She has filled the house with furniture, photos and other items which make a house a home, including sentimental family pieces.
Having control of her own property is another benefit of home ownership that Johnson enjoys.
“I like the whole environment,” she said. “I have peace.”
The cost of owning a home is actually less expensive than paying rent on an apartment, said Johnson, who is paying monthly on a 25-year mortgage through Habitat. Even better, she agreed, is the fact that eventually she will fully own the property.
Many people want to own their own home, said Johnson, as do some of her friends at work.
“All they [Habitat] can do is tell you yes or no. There’s never a harm to trying,” she said. “I took a chance to see if I could get it. It turned out for me. Look what I’ve got.”
Enthusiastic about the Habitat for Humanity program, Johnson said she is willing to continue volunteering on other peoples’ houses in the future.
“Working for someone else to have a house for their kids, I don’t mind. I don’t mind it, because somebody helped my family,” she said. “The Lord blessed me with one [a home], and I’d love to see somebody else as happy.”

von Hemert House — sets the pace for rural Virginia
Offers a transitional emergency shelter for community needs

By Deana Meredith
The Central Virginian
May 27, 2004

The Louisa County Habitat for Humanity, in partnership with the Fluvanna/Louisa Housing Foundation, dedicated two houses on South St. in the town of Louisa on Sunday afternoon — the von Hemert House and the home of Belinda Johnson, the local chapter’s second Habitat house.
The projects were a result of a union between the two organizations, which shared the costs associated with hiring a project manager to oversee construction of Louisa Habitat’s second home and a transitional emergency shelter to benefit families in need.
Believed to be the first of its kind in rural Virginia, the von Hemert house offers families in need of a temporary place to live until permanent arrangements can be made.
“We had been thinking about this for years,” said Howard Evergreen, director of the Fluvanna/Louisa Housing Foundation. “We were ecstatic to get this done.”
With the assistance of area Habitat volunteers, the foundation built the 884-square-foot house for about $60,000. The foundation already had most of the cash it needed to purchase the building materials, and completed the project without relying on grants or major fund raising.
“We were able to do something that was very affordable and is very needed,” said Evergreen.
A stroke of good fortune made it possible for the two organizations to find a property to serve a dual purpose. The South Street lots had been vacant and for sale for many years, according to Evergreen, so long, in fact, that the “for sale” signs had fallen down.
The woman who had inherited the property agreed to sell the parcels to the foundation for a reasonable price, he said, and the foundation sold half of the tract to Habitat for its second construction project, offering an ideal location for its newest approved applicant.
The von Hemert House was built on approximately one-third of an acre, and contains two bedrooms, a living room, kitchen, laundry room and bathroom on a quiet residential side street in town.
The transitional home is geared to those who may have lost their own home to fire, or have been involved in an automobile accident and can’t navigate within their own homes.
Completely handicapped accessible, persons who are disabled by accidents, surgery or age-related illnesses, can experience easy access and maneuverability in the residence.
Those who take advantage of the benefit offered by the Housing Foundation, though, must have a sponsor and a plan in place. Sponsors could include a church, a member of the community, insurance agent, nurse or physical therapist.
“Someone we can count on to help,” said Evergreen. “We’re not a social service agency. We want someone to help them meet their goals.”
Ideally, said Evergreen, someone who has been affected by unusual circumstances could live in the von Hemert House for up to three months, while they take strides to get back on their feet. If additional time is needed, it is possible that their stay could be extended.
“It’s not just for people who don’t have money,” said Evergreen. “We want it to serve the community.”
The rental fee charged by the foundation to live in the transitional emergency shelter house is based on income, but no one will be turned away if it is determined that they can’t afford the fee, according to Evergreen.
The Fluvanna/Louisa Housing Foundation is hoping to build a similar facility in Fluvanna County.
“That’s next on our list. We’re waiting for the stars to line up so that we can,” said Evergreen. “It’s not fair that the city of Charlottesville is the only place [to have emergency shelters]. People shouldn’t have to leave their community.”
Numerous supporters of the joint project were on hand to dedicate the two houses, including foundation and Habitat staff, volunteers, local religious leaders and community residents. Members of the late John von Hemert’s family, his wife, Toby, and son, Tom, also shared in the ceremony.
Remarks for the von Hemert dedication were made by Sherry Hardwick Thomas, rector of St. James Episcopal church, Ron Lauziere, president of the Fluvanna/Louisa Housing Foundation, Tom von Hemert, and Patty Driskill, who shared her memories of the man for whom the transitional shelter is named.
A former rector of St. James Episcopal, John von Hemert was a community-minded person, said Driskill, and his savvy in dealing with business or financial affairs gave many a dream impetus to grow from a plan to an active organization.
“Wherever any of us met John, on the sidewalk, at the post office, in a business, hospital or church, John’s greeting had such warmth and energy that you had to think that his number one, first priority for that day was well, out of all the entire population of Louisa County, he most wanted to say hello to you,” she said. “That spirit never wavered. It was a blessing of life you could count on.”
His name didn’t always appear at the top as the person in charge of a project. Instead, von Hemert was typically listed at the bottom, she said, where the seeds were planted and foundations forged.
“John was a dreamer. His dreams were not the idle daydreams that vaporize with the morning mist,” said Driskill. “John’s dreams were rooted in reality, for he understood people and the needs of this community.”
According to Driskill, von Hemert knew how to design a project, how he might best serve on the project and who could most successfully be “enticed, cajoled, coaxed, or plain wheedled into working with him.”
Involved in many organizations during his lifetime, von Hemert was active on the ground floor of the Louisa County Housing Foundation, JAUNT, Medical Outreach Service, Santa Council, the Louisa Ministerial Association and Food Pantry.
“All of John’s community involvement was supported by his personal generosity with time, talent and treasure—qualities that have been, and continue to be, mirrored by his devoted wife, Toby, and their family,” said Driskill. “I join you in saying, ‘Thanks be to God for John, for these homes and for the addition they make to our community.”
During the dedication of the Johnson home remarks were made by Rev. Frances Lewis; Jim Wolf, chairman of the LCHFH; Johnson; Virginia Gorski, family advocate; Donna Stewart, project manager; and Fred Richardson and Tom Rayburn, volunteers with Habitat.

The Project Manager’s Perspective

By Deana Meredith
The Central Virginian
May 27, 2004

When the Fluvanna/Louisa Housing Foundation and Louisa County Habitat for Humanity entered into a joint partnership, with plans to build two homes side-by-side, they decided it was time to hire a project manager to oversee the day-to-day operations and hired Donna Stewart.
Stewart was recommended for the job by Mary Kranz, a local builder who has been involved with Louisa Habitat since its formation. It was agreed that Howard Evergreen, housing foundation director would serve as back-up supervisor for the dual project.
“She had been trying to get me involved with Habitat. On this house, she really wanted to hire a construction manager,” said Stewart, “one who has the bigger picture makes things go a lot smoother. Then Howard came up with the idea of doing two houses together, which made it more doable for both agencies, and myself.”
Overcoming weather-related delays was one of the major hurdles which Stewart and volunteers had to work through during construction.
“The weather was very much of a challenge for us,” said Stewart. “We had a lot of rain, and because the sites are so sloped, even getting the lots cleared was delay after delay.”
After obtaining the necessary permits from the county, work simultaneously began on the foundations and basement walls of the von Hemert and Johnson houses. However, it wasn’t long before Hurricane Isabel roared through Central Virginia, holding up progress more.
“I have to say, being in it on a week-to-week basis, it seemed we had lots of weather problems,” recalled Stewart. “Then . . . from early September to early March we built two houses with [purely] volunteer labor.”
Everything fell into place once the construction process took off with a vengeance. Just when Stewart began to feel unsure about how a certain aspect of the project would commence, volunteers with the appropriate job skills would show up and lend a hand through completion.
“That kind of thing happened again and again,” she said. “It really did feel like a lot of little miracles.”
In retrospect, Stewart is surprised that everything came together so well for both houses.
“It’s not a simple task to do an intensive project such as this, especially in a rural area,” she said. “When I stop and look back, it is a big Wow!”
Working with Johnson was a pleasure, said Stewart, who describes the newest beneficiary of a Louisa Habitat home as easygoing.
“She’s a hard worker. Belinda had all her [sweat equity] hours done before we started working on her house,” said Stewart. “I was so happy to build a house for her and that she was getting it.”
Stewart considers the von Hemert home a tremendous asset, offering shelter for persons in Louisa County.
A home for Tracy Shifflett, Teresa Smith and their three children, located on a four-acre parcel donated by Historic Green Springs Inc. in the Trevilians Battlefield Station area, is Stewart’s next project.
“I just feel that Habitat is really good for the community,” said Stewart. “It’s a great way for people of all walks of life to come together. It’s doing a great service in an area where affordable housing is crucial.”

Forging Partnerships

Editorial from The Central Virginian
May 27, 2004

Forging partnerships accomplishes so much, something that was evident this past weekend at the dedication of both the John von Hemert House and second Habitat for Humanity house in the town of Louisa.
The Fluvanna/Louisa Housing Foundation and Louisa County Habitat for Humanity joined forces over a year ago. Leaning upon each other, the two organizations have achieved admirable results.
On Sunday afternoon, in the humid afternoon sun, a crowd of supporters stood on two straw-strewn lawns on South Street to celebrate the dedications.
The simple and functional Habitat house, built for the family of Belinda Johnson, meets all of her needs—from size and amenities, to proximity to her employment. Since she doesn’t drive, it was important for her to be within walking distance.
Those involved in the Habitat project expressed mutual respect for Johnson’s willingness to work toward her dream. Even though she had already acquired all the “sweat equity hours” required of her before crews could begin constructing her own home, Johnson didn’t quit. In fact, she spent just as much time as she possibly could checking out what was to become her new home.
One remarkable, determined young woman, she was able to realize her dream and is graciously giving back to the community which gave her a chance for a new home, just so that others can be as happy as she is.
The foundation’s surprise discovery of property for their own project to build a transitional emergency shelter for community residents served a dual purpose when it offered to sell a portion of the parcel to Habitat.
The von Hemert House is another success story, and puts Louisa County on the map as possibly the first such emergency shelter in rural Virginia. Now, the foundation’s director is hoping that Fluvanna County will reap the same benefits.
It is truly fitting that a temporary shelter for those in need in Louisa County should be named after John von Hemert. Those who knew him attest to his kindness and his ability to get the job done—whatever it was.
Looking out for the people in the community was his number one mission.

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