First ABILITY House in North Carolina
By Jan Morgavan
Benson, NC (August 4, 2006) - Johnston County Habitat for Humanity, ABILITY Awareness, U.S. Congressman Bob Etheridge, Benson city officials, Genworth Financial, Inc., and Wells Fargo Home Mortgage have joined forces to build the first ABILITY House in North Carolina. Each ABILITY House is built for families where at least one member has a health condition or disability.
The ABITILTY House is being built in Benson, NC for Selma Smith, who has quadraplegia, and her caretaker. During the planning stages of the home, NC State University's Center for Universal Design provided recommendations for many universal design and accessible features. For example, a no step entrance, wider hallways and doors, and a roll-in shower are features that will certainly improve Mrs. Smith's quality of life.
A unique aspect of each ABILITY House is that ABILITY Awareness reaches out to volunteers with health conditions and disabilities to help build the homes, demonstrating to the community their skills, talents and potential as volunteers and employees.
On Friday August 4, the building of the ABILITY House in Benson began in earnest. Much was accomplished on Friday including erecting the exterior walls. The Official Ceremony was headlined by Congressman Bob Etheridge, NC 2nd District.
Click Here for a photo gallery of the activites at the ABILITY House Project on Friday, including the Official Ceremony.
Links to ABILITY House Photo Gallery / Sponsors / Partners
- ABILITY House (Benson, NC) - Photo Gallery
- ABILITY House Project (Benson, NC) - Press Release
- Habitat for Humanity of Johnston County
- ABILITY Awareness
- ABILITY House Project
- U.S. Congressman Bob Etheridge
- Wells Fargo Home Mortgage
- Genworth Financial
- Town of Benson, NC
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