Old Colony Habitat for Humanity Dedicates State-Of-The-Art Green Home
Congressman Joe Kennedy Deeply Moved by "Hand Up" Given to Local Family
ATTLEBORO, Mass., June 20, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Old Colony Habitat for Humanity today announced the dedication of its 8th home. The house, located on Holman Street in Attleboro, was dedicated yesterday and will soon become home to single mom Sandra Hovagimian and her sons Khris and Kevin, ages 13 and 12, respectively.
Congressman Joe Kennedy III presided at the event and was joined by State Senator Richard Ross, along with Manny Cunard, recently retired executive director of Old Colony Habitat for Humanity, and the current executive director of the chapter, Ken Owens.
The Holman Street home was made a reality through generous donations of cash, materials and time. With the support of corporate and community funding, more than 500 individuals alongside the homeowner contributed their "sweat equity" to build this home.
Rep. Kennedy said, "There's a lot of arguing going on in Washington right now, so it's so heart-warming to come home and see how our local communities are coming together to solve problems." Kennedy was visibly moved by the beautiful home and the deserving family.
"This dedication is especially gratifying for me," said Cunard. "It's unbelievable to see our dream become a reality. It's a gorgeous, healthy and 'green' dwelling and I'm so happy for Sandra and her kids to finally have such a home as their own. They have worked tirelessly, alongside our team, and it has truly paid off." Old Colony Habitat would especially like to thank Mansfield Bank for their generous support.
The Holman Street home was the brainchild of Cunard, who spear-headed the project along with the family selection. Cunard led the project and drove the green and energy efficient features, making it perhaps the greenest Habitat home in the country. The project was completed under the direction of the current Executive Director Ken Owens and Build Committee Chairman Carl Adler.
Dennis Michaud, creator of Homebuilt and co-founder and former head of engineering and design of Blu Homes, an elite modular home builder, was a special advisor on this project. Michaud guided Cunard and his team to ensure the home was efficient and green.
"When Manny looked me up, I was happy to be a part of this amazing project," said Michaud. "I have been working to improve green and energy efficient home building for more than 10 years and I can't tell you how personally satisfying it is for me to see it all come to together for the Hovagimians." Michaud is an MIT-trained architect and built the first robotically manufactured full-sized home ever made. The home was exhibited at New York's Museum of Modern Art in 2008, when he was a post-graduate researcher at MIT.
Most Green and Energy Efficient Home So Far
The home is a three-bedroom, 1400-square-foot center-entrance colonial. It's Energy Star rated and equipped with Energy Star appliances and the most energy efficient insulation available, spray foam. The exterior and interior framing was pre-cut off-site keeping the home protected from the elements, especially mold. Finally, abundant energy-efficient windows bring the outdoors in and offer ventilation and protection, as needed.
About Old Colony Habitat for Humanity
Old Colony Habitat for Humanity was founded in 1989 in Attleboro and is a locally run affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International. Old Colony operates in 14 communities in Bristol and Norfolk county in Massachusetts, including Attleboro, Bellingham, Foxborough, Franklin, Mansfield, Norfolk, North Attleboro, Norton, Plainville, Rehoboth, Seekonk, Swansea, Taunton, and Wrentham. Please visit our site at www.oldcolonyhabitat.org to donate or volunteer. In 2016, the chapter opened its ReStore, which features great prices on everything from full kitchens to furniture, tools and even wrapping paper. All merchandise is donated and donations are always appreciated. The store is open Tuesdays - Sat 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. Please visit oldcolonyrestore.org to request pick-up of donated goods, sign up to volunteer or sign up for our newsletter. Habitat reintroduces the most basic building block of any community – the homeowner. The chapter provides resources, guidance, and hope to aspiring families. With Habitat's "A Hand Up, Not a Hand Out," homeowners contribute a substantial amount of "sweat equity" during construction of the home and the chapter sells homes to homeowners at a sharp discount they can afford. Check us out and like us on Facebook.
©2017 Old Colony Habitat for Humanity. All rights reserved. All other entities mentioned herein, including Blu Homes, HomeBuilt, Mansfield Bank and Massachusetts Institute of Technology are unaffiliated.
Contact:
Michele Reynolds Perry
617-595-5606
[email protected]
SOURCE Old Colony Habitat for Humanity
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