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If you ever swing by a Habitat Wake construction site and see the Cardinal Gibbons High School bus parked nearby, you're in for something special. Sure, there's a bit more goofy energy going around than usual (Picture: 30 high school seniors at 9am in hardhats). But there's also something special happening here: young adults are laying the foundation for a lifetime of service and community engagement.
Throughout the year, scattered legacy doors have been gathering signatures and messages in honor of former President Jimmy Carter, tributing his decades of service and dedication to Habitat that have inspired generations of affordable housing advocates.
When Habitat for Humanity of Wake County was just beginning in the 1980s, Raleigh business leader Tommy Fonville was among the first to step in to support affordable housing in the Triangle. Forty years later, his daughter Mary Burr Edwards is carrying on that mission.
Their story is one of legacy, but more importantly, it’s about how families and businesses can make a lasting impact by investing in the community they call home.
In the summer of 2024, Gretchen was caught off guard when her best friend, Mica, suddenly asked, “Hey, what’s your gross income? How long have you lived in Wake County?”
Gretchen laughed, unsure what was happening. “I was like, I have no idea what you’re doing—but here you go.”
What Gretchen didn’t realize at the time was that Mica was filling out a Habitat for Humanity of Wake County application on her behalf.
Meet Cameron! He is entering his senior year of high school with a clear vision for his future: a career in construction. This summer, he spent his time on Habitat Wake’s construction site through our Summer of Service program.
“I found the program through a teacher at my school,” Cameron says. “She knew I wanted to work in the construction field after high school, and she really wanted to make sure I got an internship.”
