Sanford, FL – June 12, 2018 – This past week, team members from Wharton-Smith partnered with local builders and Habitat for Humanity of Seminole-Apopka (HFHSA) to make one family’s dream of home ownership a reality. As part of the 4th Annual Home Builders Blitz, construction crews worked from sun up to sun down to build a single family home for Sanford resident Malita and her family. A dedication ceremony was held Tuesday, June 12, to bless the home, cut the ribbon, and present the family with keys to the house.

Over sixteen local subcontractors participated in the week-long build, which occurs nationwide. Sanford City Manager Norton Bonaparte was on hand to take part in the ceremony. “Not long ago this was just empty land and now it’s a home,” remarked Bonaparte. “Habitat, Wharton-Smith and the other contractors all made this possible,” he added.

Every family that Habitat builds for must qualify to be part of the program by having a housing need, the ability to pay for the home, and the willingness to partner through 200 hours of sweat equity. Malita went above and beyond by putting in a total of 218 hours, which is considered the down payment for her new three bedroom home.

Former Habitat Board Member and Executive Vice President of Wharton-Smith Tim Smith helped spearhead the project and get local subcontractors involved. “This is a great opportunity to leverage companies in our industry to get involved beyond Malita’s home,” said Smith. Wharton-Smith’s Senior Superintendent Mike Murray and several of Wharton-Smith’s employees managed construction by coordinating trades and ensuring the project ran smoothly. Mother Nature had other plans during construction delaying work due to torrential rain events, but construction crews are set to complete the house within the next week.

Local services and support were also donated by 5 Day Cabinets, Acousti Engineering, Air Flow Designs Heating and Air Conditioning, Barnett, Cox Plumbing, D&D Garage Doors, Harty Tractor Services, Manning Building Supply, Morton Electric, Pac-Van, Titan Electric Southeast, Titan Florida, Gerard Contracting, HZ Construction, United Masonry, and Waste Pro.

Photos from the Builders Blitz can be found on our FlickR site here.