A house becomes a home when it's filled with love, Pastor Vern Saile reminded the Odom family today during the dedication of their Habitat for Humanity restored house on State Street, Batavia.
"The Bible says unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain," Saile said. "I know the Lord has been building this house. ... I know much of the Lord’s love has been in every nail that’s been pounded into the wall and every board that’s been put up and everything that’s been painted and sanded and cleaned."
The Odoms -- Brandon, Tiffany, Madden, 9, and Maleeya, 1 -- expressed gratitude for their new home and Brandon said he will never forget the volunteers who helped with the project over the past 11 months while he put in 500 hours of labor into the project. He won't forget, he said, restoring the hardwood floor upstairs or putting in the tile of the backsplash in the kitchen.
"Brandon was meticulous in his work," said Jaylene Smith Kilner, executive director of Genesee County Habitat for Humanity.
P.J. Riner, construction director, got a little choked up talking about the Odom family and Brandon's dedication to the project.
"He’s worked very, very hard," Riner said. "He’s been a joy to work with and I’m confident he’s going to be a key part of this community for a long time."
Brandon has worked at Home Depot for nine years and is a part-time as a bus driver.
For his part, Madden couldn't wait to show off his new bedroom to visitors following the dedication ceremony.
One of the next potential projects for Habitat, said Board President Lauren Casey, is the restoration of a house on Bloomingdale Road, Basom. The project is awaiting applicants from potential homeowners who qualify for a Habitat home.
Part of the tradition of a Habitat home dedication are symbolic gifts: bread, so the new owners may never know hunger; sugar, so the home is always sweet; light, so that the home never knows darkness; flowers, to fill the home with beauty; and, a Bible, so there is always a blessing on the house.
Lauren Casey
