Thursday, March 9, 2023, Habitat for Humanity of Bowling Green/Warren County (BG/WC) dedicated its 100th home, which was built in part by funds from Kentucky Housing Corporation (KHC). Staff from KHC joined Governor Andy Beshear, Habitat BG/WC Executive Director Rodney Goodman, and others on the porch to welcome homeowners Kendra Alexander and her daughter Nzuri Posey, who had lost their home in the 2021 tornado.
Kendra and Nzuri’s home is part of a ten-townhouse stretch, six of which will go to tornado survivors, along Regis O’Connor Boulevard, a street of Habitat BG/WC-built homes being developed on the city’s north side. KHC staff, including Keli Reynolds who spoke at the dedication, helped in the construction of Kendra and Nzuri's and the other nine townhouses during a week-long blitz build in July 2022. According to Goodman, 1,100 volunteers completed over 17,000 hours of service for Habitat BG/WC in 2022.
At the ceremony, Gov. Beshear presented Goodman with a $100,000 check from the nonprofit assistance fund to go toward the ongoing development of Regis O'Connor Boulevard. When finished, the neighborhood will include a community center and storm shelter in addition to homes, green space, and pathways to the park and local school.
After the dedication, Nzuri picked out her bedroom and described exactly how she was going to arrange her belongings. She told Gov. Beshear that on a scale from 1 to 10, she was 1,000 times excited to have a new home.
The families who will live in the surrounding townhouses attended the dedication, too. Kids did cartwheels in the yard. The day was full of optimism.