During this holiday week, I couldn't help but think of my recent visit with Ms. Rebecca Weber of St. Johns, Michigan – about twenty minutes north of our state capital of Lansing. USDA Rural Housing Service Administrator Tony Hernandez and I were able to meet Ms. Weber and hear her inspiring story.
USDA Rural Development in Michigan has forged a valuable partnership with Habitat for Humanity, where USDA provides the necessary financing for these families to build their homes. Rebecca Weber is one of the shining examples of success coming from that partnership. Rebecca is a hard-working single mother who built her home this year with the help of Habitat for Humanity and USDA Rural Development. Rebecca was so dedicated to getting this home build, that when heavy rains this summer forced a six-month delay due to standing water, she enlister her mother and together they bailed out the property with five gallon buckets to get things back on schedule.
Rebecca told us her motivation was her daughter Kelseigh, as she wanted Kelseigh to have a home, something Rebecca didn't have. Now those two are enjoying their first Christmas in their new home, and I'm genuinely pleased to know we played a role in helping them achieve this dream.
We also had time to visit Sunrise Apartments in Keeler, Michigan. This off-farm labor housing is currently under renovation with financing made possible through USDA Rural Development. Construction is expected to be completed in time for the next growing season, and the site was buzzing with activity. When finished, the complex will serve approximately forty farming labor families as they rotate through the various harvests.
Tony and I stopped by the new City Hall in Plainwell, Michigan – financed by USDA Rural Development – and the site of an eyesore and environmental hazard left behind from a shuttered paper mill. Plainwell community leaders worked with USDA Rural Development to renovate and rehabilitate the site into a community focal point, and even salvaged abandoned equipment from the mill to make an impressive sculpture for the property.
All in all, it was a great cross-section of the many ways USDA Rural Development is helping to improve the quality of life in rural Michigan. Happy holidays, everyone!
