The new homeowners helped build their house through the self-help housing program.

In a rural county that struggles with poverty, three families became first-time homeowners in June. The ribbon-cutting ceremony happened June 22 in Perry County, Ala., one of the nation’s poorest counties. 

The new houses were made possible through a grant awarded to Sowing Seeds of Hope, a local non-profit organization that is part of the CBF’s rural poverty initiative called Together for Hope.  In 2006, Sowing Seeds of Hope was awarded a $338,000 grant from USDA for a self-help housing program.

Watch a video from a local news station about the June ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Bethany Rush, who is serving as a CBF Student.Go intern in Perry County this summer, said the program “has a huge impact on this community. Seeing the gratitude, joy, and pride, on the faces of those families when they received keys to a brand new home made all of the hard work done by Sowing Seeds of Hope and its partners more than worth the extra effort. Knowing that the families will have a safe, sturdy home to raise their children in or to grow in reassures me that there is always hope for this county.”

Learn more about Sowing Seeds of Hope at www.sowingseedsofhope.org.