Good News recognizes founder with 30th house built for Habitat

The Good News House Group, a group of 17 area churches, recently celebrated the renovation of their 30th and 31st homes. On October 29, Habitat for Humanity of Huron Valley hosted Lea and Jalen Glaze’s Home Dedication, marking the 30th house built or renovated by the Good News crews for Habitat. Lea and Jalen welcomed members of the Good News House Group congregations into their home, on Harvest Lane in Ypsilanti, where Lea expressed how much she has enjoyed working with Habitat and the Good News House Group volunteers on her home.

“As a single mother, home ownership wasn’t an option until now,” said Lea. “I am happy for Jalen to have a neighborhood where he can make friends. In a few years when he leaves for college, he will have a house to return to. We are so excited and thankful for the opportunity to own a home!”

Lea is a teacher in the Toddler Program at a nonprofit school in Ann Arbor and is a student at The Center for Guided Montessori Studies. In her spare time Lea enjoys listening to music, doing puzzles, and spending time with her thirteen-year-old son, Jalen.  Jalen is looking forward to putting a basketball hoop up in the driveway.

The Good News House Group is an outreach ministry of 17 congregations who work with Habitat for Humanity of Huron Valley on home renovations. In 1997, the Good News House Group was founded by Bob Whitacre, a retiree who was looking to give back in Washtenaw County. Bob’s guidance over the past 20 years led the Good News House Group to create homeownership for 29 families in Washtenaw County. These congregations created home for over 65 children. They also raised over $1 million to assist with the cost of renovations.

A Red Bud tree was planted at Lea’s dedication in memory of Bob, who passed in the spring of 2017. Bob’s wife Marge, son Donald, and grandson Kai attended Lea’s Home Dedication to pay special tribute to Bob. As Marge spoke about Bob’s work, she recalled Bob and the Good News House Group working on a home on Harvest Lane as early as 1999. Through the eyes of Bob’s family and friends it was the precious reminder that Bob’s legacy and the Good News House Group legacy live on every day in the lives of Habitat homeowners.

Thank you to the following congregations for your continued support:

Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church, First Baptist Church of Ann Arbor, Manchester United Methodist Church, Calvary United Methodist Church, First Congregational Church of Ann Arbor, Marble Memorial United Methodist Church, Chelsea Church of the Nazarene, First Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Ann Arbor, Stony Creek United Methodist Church, Cherry Hill United Methodist Church, First United Methodist Church of Ann Arbor, West Side United Methodist Church, Dexter United Methodist Church, First United Methodist Church of Saline, West Side United Methodist Church, Dexter United Methodist Church, First United Methodist Church of Saline, Wesley United Methodist Church, Dixboro United Methodist Church, First United Methodist Church of Ypsilanti