Publix Charities Grant Helps Immokalee Family Become Homeowners
Naples, FL (June 7, 2024) — June is National Homeownership Month, and one Immokalee family will soon call themselves homeowners thanks in large part to a recent gift from Publix Charities of more than $150,000. The six-figure gift has partially underwritten construction costs for an affordable home in Immokalee, built in partnership with Habitat for Humanity of Collier County.
Later this month, Habitat partners Madelson and Elna will close on the purchase of their Habitat home—made possible in part by the Publix Charities grant. Their family of four has been living in a cramped two-bedroom apartment, but with two children, they have already outgrown the space. Even with a two-income household and careful attention to their finances, the high cost of housing in Collier County presented a challenge. This couple found it impossible to afford a larger rental or to purchase their own home through conventional routes. They came to Habitat in hopes of providing their children with a larger home and a stable foundation for the future.
“I always dreamed of having a place that I can call my own, a house that I could turn to a home with my family,” Madelson wrote in their application to partner with Habitat Collier.
Kaicasa, now under construction on state road 29 just south of Farmworkers Village, is slated to be one of the largest Habitat subdivisions in the country. Already, more than a dozen families have moved into the community’s first phase and this neighborhood will provide affordable homes for 281 families by the time it is completed.
“Publix Charities has been a faithful partner of Habitat Collier for more than 25 years, generously granting nearly $1.5 million to help make affordable homeownership possible for families in our community,” says Habitat Collier CEO Rev. Lisa Lefkow. “Steadfast partners like this one are so important to this work and we couldn’t be more grateful for this incredibly generous gift.”
Habitat partner families undergo an intensive approval process prior to being selected to purchase their homes with a no-interest mortgage. The partnership goes beyond just a transaction of the purchase itself, with future homeowners investing sweat equity both on and off the job site. Partners work alongside volunteers helping to build their homes and those of their neighbors, participate in pre-purchase education courses, and work with mentors who help prepare them for successful first-time homeownership.
About Habitat for Humanity of Collier County
Habitat for Humanity of Collier County’s goal is to empower struggling families to build strength, stability and self-reliance through shelter. Habitat Collier is one of the oldest and most successful Habitat affiliates in the nation. For more than 45 years, they have served the needs of Collier County’s workforce, building homes in partnership with families, volunteers and donors, and then selling them with an affordable mortgage. Since 1978, Habitat Collier has built more than 2,600 homes in Naples and Immokalee. For more information, visit HabitatCollier.org.