Twenty-eight years ago, Kim and Ken Marks became the first family to experience the joy that accompanies becoming the inaugural recipients of the Holmes County Habitat for Humanity program.
On Tuesday, June 24, they were on hand to celebrate Habitat’s 41st home groundbreaking, this time for their son Cory Marks, his wife Zari, and their children Delilah and Atticus.
It was a moment that brought tears to the eyes of all members of the family as Cory and Zari Marks prepared for this new phase in their lives.
“I’m so happy that they get to experience the joy we experienced,” said Kim Marks, whose children and grandchildren will now be able to see the roof of her home from theirs on Elm Alley in Millersburg once the project is completed. “It’s exciting to see them get to know how we felt 28 years ago.”
Ken Marks said Habitat has been amazing in helping families find affordable housing over the past three decades and talked about what a blessing it has been for not just their family, but also for many others.
As for the younger Marks family, it is a time of excitement as they anticipate the big day they get to move in.
For now they were happy to enjoy a groundbreaking ceremony surrounded by friends, family and plenty of Habitat members.
“I’m nervous and excited,” Cory Marks said. “It’s been quite the journey getting to this point. It was a huge shot in the dark, and it’s almost like hitting the lottery, but we owe it all to God.”
He said the thing they were looking forward to the most on this particular day was the central air because their current home doesn’t have air-conditioning, and this June 24 was 90 F.
He went on to talk about the people of Habitat and their commitment to help growing families find new housing.
Zari Marks said the kids were looking forward to having their own rooms, and she was excited about having a new kitchen. She said the entire family is excited and grateful to be part of the Habitat process.
“This has been a huge blessing,” she said. “I cried when we found out we got it because we were going through a lot at that time. Everyone involved has been incredible, and I definitely encourage anyone who is looking for a new home to apply.”
New Holmes County Habitat Director Laura McCartney said she was as eager to experience the process as was the family, and she said the Marks family has made the process easy and enjoyable.
She also said seeing so many people playing key roles throughout the process exemplifies Holmes County’s giving and caring nature.
“You come into this process and you are complete strangers, and by the end, through working together and meeting new people, you develop these strong friendships,” McCartney said. “It’s so much more than just a one-time thing. Once you’re a part of the Habitat family, whether you’re a partner family, donor, volunteer or a board member, you are part of the Habitat family, and that never stops.”
During the groundbreaking ceremony, Linda Campbell, Holmes Habitat board president, provided a welcome, and Butch Marks, grandparent to the young family, provided both the opening and closing prayer. Pete Hilty, Habitat’s construction supervisor, performed the actual groundbreaking ceremony, but it was retired minister and Habitat volunteer Gary George who presented words of wisdom built around a common banking term, FDIC.
Only his acronym wasn’t about Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.
He chose a scripture from I Kings 4:25 that talks about people dwelling under their own vine and fig tree.
He said God has always intended people to have safe, affordable housing, and in this season of blessing, he used an acronym of another type.
“In this context, what it means is faith, diligence, integrity and community,” George said.
He said it takes a lot of faith to undertake a venture like this for everyone involved, from the family to Habitat, partners, donors and volunteers.
“It’s a mutual faith decision in many respects so everyone can dwell under their own fig tree,” George said.
He went on to talk about diligence.
One of Habitat’s hallmarks is requiring every family to put in sweat equity to earn ownership of their new home. He said there is plenty of hard work and diligence going into the process of making this home.
He said integrity is an alignment of thoughts, words and deeds coming together in faith.
Finally, he said Habitat represents a perfect blend of community coming together to support friends and neighbors.
“It takes a community to raise a Habitat house,” George said.
And so FDIC served as a perfect acronym to help successfully begin the Marks family embarking on this new journey together, with their family, community and faith paving the way for a bright future in a new home.
