With streets named Hope, Unity, and Freedom Place, it is obvious that Faith Park is a very special community. Its residents certainly agree.

Faith Park, located on Highway 80 East, is the community where Habitat for Humanity Selma builds its homes.

“We have 25 homes there now,” said Nina Capps, Executive Director for Habitat Selma. “We have built 39 houses so far in Dallas County and are working on one now.”

Habitat for Humanity International, a non-profit Christian Ministry,

was originally established in 1976.

Since then, Habitat has built more than 175,000 houses and provided shelter for over 900,000 people in all 50 states and in 100 countries.

Homeowner families are chosen according to their need, their ability to repay the no-profit, no-interest mortgage, and their willingness to work in partnership with Habitat.

Individuals, corporations, faith groups, and others provide financial support.

“We have always built one house a year, but we are trying to raise sufficient funding to build two a year,”said Capps.

With the grant that they received from State Farm, Habitat Selma might be on its way to realizing that dream.

“We are always looking for grants and Gus (Colvin)told us about State Farm’s Good Neighbor grant,”said Capps. “We went online, got the paperwork, and filled it out.”

Capps learned two weeks ago that Habitat Selma was awarded a $5,000 Good Neighbor grant.

“They sent him (Colvin)an email saying that we had been approved, and he ran upstairs and showed me,”said Capps.

According to Capps, Bob Myers and Gus Colvin are extremely helpful and conscientious volunteers who put back into the community.

“Habitat for Humanity meets such a critical need by providing affordable housing,” said Colvin, a local State Farm agent. “We applaud them and the work they do here in Selma and are proud to be a part of this outstanding organization.”

“I had fun at the Blitz a couple of years ago,” said Myers, a local State Farm agent. “We built 20 houses that week and I met so many nice people.

Some of the homeowners had tears in their eyes when they got the keys to their homes.”

I am positively thrilled that State Farm of Selma continues to support our Habitat affiliate,” said Brennan Nedley, President of Habitat Selma.

When asked what she ultimately hopes to accomplish through Habitat Selma, Capps said that she wants to “break the cycle of poverty through Christian ministry and education.”