Serving Lucas, Ottawa, Sandusky and Wood Counties
Habitat for Humanity of Wood County has tabbed the Harder family and 117 W. Perry St. in Walbridge for their latest build, and officials were on hand Aug. 21 to celebrate its groundbreaking with an official ground blessing ceremony.
“I think that it's a blessing for us because we're able to provide a wonderful village to raise a family, and that's something we pride ourselves on,” Walbridge mayor Ed Kolanko said. “We're seeing more and more families moving back to this area, and this is another example of really somebody who wants to come here and raise their family and raise their children.
“It's just a testament to the good job that we're doing here in Walbridge. We got a great police department. We got a great administration. We have really a great community. It's stuff like this that makes me proud.”
The organization’s executive director, Mark Ohashi, was also on hand for the ground blessing, where officials gather, celebrate and share a prayer before beginning excavation, which then began early the following week.
This is the third house that Ohashi has helped build in Walbridge while working with the mayor and village council. The previous ones were built on Guy Street and Clinton Street within the mayor’s tenure.
“It starts with the mayor, and being able to work with Ed Kolanko and the council has just been great,” he said. “That's the way things happen. Mayor Kolanko really understands our mission. And he's got a heart for our mission. He's got a heart for people to be able to live in affordable housing.”
Ohashi said the only way Habitat can do what they do is through partnerships with communities and businesses.
“We have an amazing partnership with Walbridge,” he said. “We received this land on a tax foreclosure, which is a great deal for us and saves us a lot of money. They’re able to use the land to provide affordable housing for another family. We also do this in partnership with many corporate groups. They come in and sponsor, so they help provide financial support, but they also provide volunteer support.”
Ashly and Joshua Harder, along with their daughter Paislee, have called Wood County home for the past five years. Originally from Toledo, they left behind a neighborhood filled with constant gunfire and a landlord who refused to address critical repairs in their apartment. Seeking safety and stability for their daughter, the family moved four times in five years due to rising rent prices. The parents both work, but finding decent, affordable housing felt like a dream — until now.
“We’re really going to come together around Josh and Ashly to be able to build this house,” Ohashi said during the ceremony. “One of those things that I think about when I think about what the Habitat is able to do for a family is that it’s able to provide stability, and it does that through home ownership.
“A lot of families are struggling with rentals. A lot of families are struggling with inadequate rentals, health and safety related issues with their rentals, and as I think about Josh and Ashly and what they are currently up against, I am so excited to be able to have them help build their own house so that they can secure that stability.”
Ashly’s parents, who volunteer with Habitat for Humanity in Syracuse, N.Y., encouraged them to explore what Habitat offers locally. At the same time, the Harders were working with the Great Lakes Community Action Plan to improve their credit, and they spotted a Habitat flyer on the agency’s website. After going through the application process, including a home visit from the Habitat Selection Committee, the family was overjoyed to learn they had been approved.
Representing the Habitat’s support group at the ceremony was Danielle Bayer, who presented a symbolic pair of gloves to the young parents.
“While they may seem like a simple gift, they carry deep significance,” she said. “These gloves symbolize the hard work, sweat, and dedication that you will go through building your new home. Just as these gloves protect your hands, they represent the strength, perseverance, and care that will go into maintaining and nurturing the space you will call home. May these gloves remind you that you are not alone in this journey. We, the community, and Habitat are here with you, supporting you every step of the way as you build a safe and affordable house to call home.”
After a process that Kolanko said has taken four years to get to this point, Ohashi hopes to be able to move the Harder’s into their new home less than four months from today. He plans to have a dedication ceremony in December.
“Our goal is to get this house closed and move the family in by Christmas,” Ohashi said. “Anything can happen in construction, but that's our goal.”
If anyone would like to follow updates as to what’s going on with the project, you can sign up for the Habitat’s newsletter at WChabitat.org.
