RAYMONDVILLE — Along Riggs Avenue, an empty lot lies along the rows of brick and wood-frame homes.
RAYMONDVILLE — Along Riggs Avenue, an empty lot lies along the rows of brick and wood-frame homes.
Soon, a family will move into a new three-bedroom home as Habitat for Humanity of the Rio Grande Valley marks its expansion into Willacy County.
On Wednesday, VTX1 agreed to raise $44,000 to fund construction of the 1,200-square-foot wood-frame home at 833 Riggs.
“It’s a big deal,” Mayor Gilbert Gonzales said after the ceremony. “For people in need, it means a lot. They have something to look forward to.”
The project marks Habitat for Humanity’s expansion into Willacy County, a farming region struggling with some of the highest jobless rates in the Valley.
“This is a monumental step for Habitat for Humanity,” Executive Director Wayne Lowry said after the ceremony.
“This basically opens up the door to Raymondville and the county,” he said. “This is a first step. We anticipate this move will be the bedrock on which other homes will be built. Once you have a first, you raise a wall and people notice. You raise momentum.”
Lowry said Willacy County’s high poverty rate sparked Habitat for Humanity’s decision to expand there.
“When we look at the density of low-income families, we recognize the need in WillacyCounty,” he said.
At VTX1, employees will raise the $44,000 to fund the home’s construction for the company’s annual charity project, said Denise Meyners, the company’s spokeswoman.
“This project highlights the true spirit of our employees and our corporate mission to serve those around us. It’s an opportunity for us to give back to the community we call home,” said Dave Osborne, VTX1’s chief executive officer. “Building a home for a deserving family is a humbling honor. It’s where love lives, children grow, family values develop and pride of home ownership becomes the cornerstone for prosperity.”
Now, Habitat for Humanity is accepting applications for a family interested in moving into the home, Lowry said.
“We look for a hard-working, low-income family that needs a hand up not a hand-out,” he said.
Lowry said a committee of Raymondville residents will interview prospective families and make a recommendation in June.
The three-month project to build the home is expected to begin in the fall.
Lowry said the project opens a new chapter for Habitat for Humanity.
In 1988, Habitat for Humanity came to Hidalgo County, where it has built more than 100 homes.
Three years ago, the organization expanded into Cameron County with the help of a $25,000 donation from the Harlingen Rotary Club.
So far, it has built seven homes in Harlingen, three in San Benito and six in Primera.
