Dan Early, Wabash County Habitat for Humanity president, presents Sarah Eis, her husband Matthew and children with the keys to their new home on Saturday, July 30. Photo by Emma Rausch
By Emma Rausch
emma@thepaperofwabash.com
WABASH,IN Matthew and Sarah Eis are officially Wabash homeowners following the Habitat for Humanity dedication of their new Ferry Street home on Saturday, July 30.
In April, the Wabash County chapter of Habitat broke ground at the site, located at 490 Ferry Street, and began the five-month build on the Eis’ home.
Now the two-story home is complete and ready for the Eis couple and their five children to move in.
“What a wonderful addition this home is to this neighborhood,” Mayor Scott Long said during the dedication. “It seems like only yesterday we were at the groundbreaking, snow was flying, we were freezing … but it was a good time. We also found out the students of O.J. Neighbours (Elementary School) paid for the nails through a penny drive at school.”
Mrs. Eis told The Paper of Wabash County her family was feeling excited and overwhelmed following the dedication.
“It’s amazing that everyone came together and showed up here today,” she said. “It’s awesome. Just watching (the house be built) from the ground up and being with it every step of the way was my favorite part and we had a hand in it. So we appreciate it a lot more.”
The day was especially special for Mrs. Eis as she celebrated her birthday the same day.
“This will be a birthday remembered for the rest of her life,” Long said as he congratulated the couple on their new home.
“I’ve known Sarah for a number of years,” Long said. “It’s wonderful for me as a former police officer and a mayor to see these two young people and their family receive this home and become foundational members of this neighborhood and our community.
“This is what the City of Wabash is all about. Habitat is what the City of Wabash is all about. We come together and we get things done.”
Jeremy Stackhouse, Habitat Board of Directors vice president, made a special note to mention that the City of Wabash provided Habitat with the property to build the Eis family’s new home from the ground up.
“The partnership that they have with Habitat allows us to expand,” Stackhouse said during the dedication, “and the ability to have the support of local government means a lot to an organization like Habitat.”
There’s a possibility more sites will come, Long added.
“The City of Wabash is going to try even more with Habitat,” he said. “We’re in the process of taking ownership of another home that needs to be demolished. It burnt several years ago at the corner of Huntington and Walnut streets.”
“My intent is to take possession of that. The owners decided to deed it over to the City of Wabash. So once my street department clears the lot, we’re going to go ahead and deed that over to Habitat so that we can do this again.”