March 29, 2024

Habitat for Humanity finishes Mingo home

The Jasper County chapter of Habitat for Humanity of Mid-Iowa recently completed their construction on their first home in Mingo, located on Davenport Street.

The chapter of volunteers and new home-owners welcomed the community into the home for an open house and home dedication on Saturday, April 20.

The new home owners, Mindy and Jason Webster along with their children Mariah, Jaycie and Lily, were all present at the event as members of the Jasper County community turned out to show their support for the project.

The family was pre-selected as part of an application process. Families qualify based on economic need, their ability to pay back a zero-interest loan provided through the Habitat program and their willingness to partner with Habitat by completing 500 hours of “sweat-equity,” work on their own home and future homes.

Homes built by the Habitat program are produced with volunteer labor. This helps to limit the cost of the home, enabling the home owners to take out a mortgage for the cost of materials alone, some of which are also donated from area businesses or heavily discounted.

Jason Webster, a barber who works in Newton, said that the two-and-a-half-year building process has been a learning experience that has helped to grow him as a person in a number of ways.

“If I’ve learned one thing during all this, it has been to be more precise in my work. Like cutting hair, I’ve learned that I need to pay attention to more of the little details in both my work and my life,” said Webster. “I’ve really grown to take pride in the work that I do now.”

Mindy Webster said she is excited to a part of the new community after the outpouring of support they have received.

“Everyone has been awesome throughout all of this. We got a lot of support from family, but also from people in the community,” Mindy Webster said. “All of the members in our new church have been a great help. We’re excited to be a part of the Mingo community.”

The couple transferred their children into the Colfax-Mingo Community School District as soon as they knew that they would be making the move.  The girls are excited about everything in the new home, from having new rooms, to the plush carpet and the expansive wooded area behind their house.

Anyone who is interested in contributing by volunteering or donating to the Jasper County Habitat chapter can find more information by visiting their website at www.jasperhabitat.com. Those in need of affordable housing can also find information about the application process at the website.