Work starts on Sept. 13 at 5414 5th Street.

Kimberly Lloyd has dreamed of this day for a long time, and on Wednesday she and her children marked off the property.

"I've been in this since 1999," said Lloyd. "And I stopped getting out my sweat equity hours because I got pregnant with (my baby) so I couldn't do anything. So I recently started back on my hours."

Habitat partners put in a minimum of 500 hours working on other Habitat projects while they await their own dream of owning a home. The design of Lloyd's house will be the first of its kind for Habitat.

"Our role here will be to provide the structural insulated panels for this project," said Danny Bain of General Panel Corporation of Union. "That's the exterior walls and roof. You know these homes are designed to have a very low power bill."

The house is also the latest endeavor of Habitat's 'Women Building a Legacy' project.

"Men are welcome," said Fonda Rush, executive director of Lauderdale County Habitat for Humanity. "We want to let everybody know that men are welcome. But the majority of people that will be here are women."

Leisha Pickering, wife of Cong. Chip Pickering was here for the blessing of the building site.

"I don't know what exactly where they'll put me to work but I do want to be a part of the work," said Mrs. Pickering, who along with her husband, has been a Habitat volunteer. "And a part of seeing this home come about. It may be just helping come and cook and feed everybody here that's working. But I'll sure do whatever they need me to do."

Internationally, over 350 Habitat houses have been built by women since 1991.

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Habitat for Humanity

• Habitat for Humanity International is a nonprofit, nondenominational Christian housing organization.

• Since 1976, Habitat has built more than 100,000 houses in more than 60 countries, including some 30,000 houses across the United States.

• Through volunteer labor and donations of money and materials, Habitat builds and rehabilitates simple, decent houses with the help of the homeowner families.

• Habitat houses are purchased by the homeowner families.

• Three factors make Habitat houses affordable to low-income people worldwide:
  
  • Houses are sold at no profit, with no interest charged on the mortgage.
    
  • Homeowners and volunteers build the houses under trained supervision.
    
  • Individuals, corporations, faith groups, and others provide financial support.

• Homeowner families are chosen:
  
  • according to their need
    
  • their ability to repay the no-profit, no-interest mortgage
    
  • their willingness to work in partnership with Habitat.

• Habitat for Humanity does not discriminate according to race, religion or ethnic group.

• Habitat is not a giveaway program. In addition to a down payment and the monthly mortgage payments, homeowners invest hundreds of hours of their own labor, "sweat equity", into building their Habitat house and the houses of others.

• A Habitat house could cost varies throughout the world, from as little as $800 in some developing countries to an average of $46,600 in the United States.

Source: http://www.habitat.org/ (The Habitat for Humanity International Web site)