Christians do more than just talk about loving our neighbors
I’ve witnessed firsthand a Christian ministry doing good in the underprivileged Douglas Community on the east side of Plano, Texas.
The Christ United Methodist Church in Plano started a ministry in 2004 called “House on the Corner“.
How They Do It
Church members and community volunteers come together to build a house on the corner of their church parking lot. Once the house is completed, it’s moved to its final location. The church seeks applications from families in need and selects a family after careful consideration. The selected family also assists in the construction of the home as they are able. The construction costs are funded by a HUD grant along with generous donations from their congregation and local community. Volunteers build the homes between May and October and the family takes possession of the new home usually in late November.
It’s important to note that the new homeowners don’t get the house free. They must qualify for a mortgage loan and be able to make the small mortgage payments. What they receive is a house worth much more than their mortgage and a house payment close to half the cost of renting an apartment. This arrangement serves two purposes.
- The new family can take pride and responsibility for maintaining their new home.
- Due to the lower payment, they slowly earn equity in the new home contributing to their long term financial stability.
The church then takes money from the sale of the home to buy the lot for the next home and as seed capital for beginning the next home project.
About the Homes
The latest house is the church’s 7th home since they started this ministry. Each home they build is approximately 1,500 square feet, has 3 to 4 bedrooms, two full baths, living room, laundry room, and a kitchen. Each home is painted inside and out and is fully furnished by the church as needed by the new homeowners.
The home comes with all the amenities one would expect: a washer, dryer, dishwasher, refrigerator/freezer, stove, and oven.
About the Family
The newest family to benefit from this ministry is Mr. and Mrs. Okereke from Nigeria, and their three beautiful children named Blessing (9 yr old girl), Wisdom (6 yr old boy), and Anointing (3 yr old boy).
Wisdom suffers from Cerebral Palsy and is confined to a wheelchair. Due to Wisdom’s special needs, the church also built a wheelchair access ramp for the home. Mr. and Mrs. Okereke are very grateful to take ownership of their new home and feel blessed by the Methodist Church’s generosity.
How You Can Help or Get Involved
If you are interested in supporting this ministry with your financial gifts or interested in volunteering to help with the construction, contact Glen Thornton, or visit the House on the Corner website for more information.
You can also send a request for information, including your name, address and phone number, to: Christ United Methodist Church, HOTC, 3101 Coit Road, Plano, TX 75075.
