A Place to Call Home
As the cold winter months settle upon the Commonwealth, one UK staff member feels a little warmer this year after settling in to her new home. Rita Mays became a first-time homeowner in August through Lexington Habitat for Humanity and her colleagues at the University of Kentucky College of Law.
Mays has been an integral part of life at the College of Law for many years. She not only serves as a custodian for the college, she greets each person with a friendly smile, wishes them the best everyday, and has become part of the heart and soul of the college.
When the college learned that Mays was receiving a house from Lexington Habitat for Humanity, faculty, staff and students all wanted to pitch in to help Mays achieve her dream of becoming a homeowner. UK Law partnered with Ashland, Inc. and Webasto Roofing Company to give a new home to the Mays family: Rita, her daughter and two grandchildren.
"We were delighted to help Rita work for her new home," said Sarah Welling, Wendell H. Ford Professor of Law and coordinator of the college's house building efforts. "While we did not give a lot financially to the project, faculty, staff, students and administrators had fun participating in the actual building process, leaving a mark on Rita’s new home much like she has on the College of Law."
Students, faculty, staff and friends of the College of Law worked on the house on Thursdays and Saturdays throughout May and June. They also helped fulfill a wish list of items to help Mays make her new house a home. For Mays, seeing faculty, staff and students from the college was like having family help build her home.
“I had a lot of fun working on my house with people I know, people who were there to help make my dream come true,” said Mays.
The college was not alone in the UK community supporting Mays. Jill Jenkins, who works as an account clerk for UK in Auxiliary Services, served as Mays’ Habitat Nurturer.
Families do not just receive a home from Habitat for Humanity; they earn their homes. Mays and her family, like all families in the program, worked with Habitat for Humanity organizers to gain sweat equity hours toward their new home. Each family puts in between 250 and 500 sweat equity hours, working on their homes, working on the homes of other families in the program and attending workshops on subjects like home and yard maintenance and budgeting. Mays and her family put in 500 hours of sweat equity.
Ground was broken May 5 on Mays' new home, and she received the keys to Lexington Habitat for Humanity’s 301st house in a dedication ceremony on Aug. 18. The home is located on Ohio Street in Lexington.
“I’m so thrilled to return to my old neighborhood as a homeowner,” Mays said. “It’s going to be a joy to watch my daughter and grandchildren grow up in the community that shaped me to be the person I am today.”
Lexington Habitat for Humanity, Inc. is a nonprofit, ecumenical Christian ministry that cultivates partnerships with families in need, sponsors and volunteers to build simple, decent, affordable housing in Fayette County. Lexington Habitat brings people from all walks of life together, without discrimination, in order to create a stronger, more caring community. Further, as an affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International, Lexington Habitat supports global building projects.
The UK College of Law was founded in 1908 as one of the nation's first state law schools and has a long tradition of excellence in teaching, service and scholarship by an outstanding faculty.
