Anonymous Donation Helps Organization Build New Home For A Local Family

ST. CLOUD -- A large donation from an anonymous source will help Habitat for Humanity build a brand new home for a local low-income family this summer.

Central Minnesota Habitat for Humanity Executive Director Bruce Johnson says the anonymous donation came "out of the blue."

"God blessed us with a phone call last November ... and they're going to write us a check for $60,000 to help the project," Johnson says. "[They said] they love the work of Habitat for Humanity and they really wanted to see the Catholic community in the area get involved."

Johnson says the anonymous contribution was made in honor of the current Pope of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis.

"We are just now organizing things and getting ready to roll and we are really excited by the opportunity."

The home will be built at 157 24th Avenue South in St. Cloud after the house that currently sits on that property is torn down. Habitat for Humanity will host a "wall bashing" ceremony this weekend and Johnson says they are in need of some help.

"We're inviting youth to get involved this Saturday for a house-cleaning," Johnson says. "We picked this house up out of foreclosure and we need to get it cleaned up and ready for our wall bashing ceremony."

Johnson says each project takes about 16 weeks to build and estimates this project will be completed in late September.

"One of the best times is the wall-raising ceremony (at the start of the construction) because we have the entire community gathered around," Johnson says.

"But even better than that is when the project is done, we do a home dedication and I gotta tell you, the look on [the family's] faces when they realize they're homeowners is priceless."