A New Habitat Home Serves Up Thanksgiving Joy

CUTLINE: New Central Oklahoma Habitat for Humanity Cornerstone Creek Homeowner Akayla K. posed with family and friends, including her son, Kailen (front row), yesterday, Nov. 21, 2024, during her Habitat home dedication in northwest Oklahoma City.

Just in time for Thanksgiving, OU Medical Center Trauma Registrar Akayla K. celebrated her new home dedication with the support of Central Oklahoma Habitat for Humanity (COHFH) yesterday, Nov. 21, 2024, at Cornerstone Creek, Habitat’s newest and largest affordable housing development in Oklahoma City.

This week is also extra special for Akayla because it is her son’s eighth birthday. During the event, community members, local clergy, and Habitat staff presented Akayla with housewarming gifts and blessings for a safe, happy and healthy future in her new home in far northwest Oklahoma City.

Akayla K. proudly displays her new house keys on Nov. 21, 2024, after her home dedication with Central Oklahoma Habitat staff, community members and family in Oklahoma City. (Photos by COHFH Family Services division)

In her application to Habitat’s New Home Construction program, Akayla stated that she has always desired her own home and that after years of paying high rent for less-than-ideal conditions, she wanted a “settled environment” where she could raise her son.

During the home dedication, when Akayla received the house keys from Felton Gilliland, she excitedly said, “Whoop, yeah, yeah!” After a big hug, the young mother thanked the attendees.

“Thank you all for being here and helping us celebrate today,” Akayla said. “ It means a lot to me. Thank you to everyone who helped, volunteered, and coached us!”

COHFH Chair/CEO Ann Felton Gilliland said the recent home dedication is Habitat’s fifth at Cornerstone Creek and commemorates Habitat’s 1,110th house built in the greater Oklahoma City area since 1990.

“Thanks to our generous donors, volunteers, and sponsors, we’ve been busy fulfilling the promise of Cornerstone Creek so that our families can be home for the holidays,” Felton Gilliland said. “Cornerstone Creek is a testament to the power of community as we work to fulfill our ministry’s mission of building homes, community and hope in Central Oklahoma. I’m also pleased Akayla and Kailen now have their own new Habitat home where they can celebrate the holidays, his birthday and other special occasions.”

COHFH now has approximately 30 homes built or under construction at Cornerstone Creek. When complete, Cornerstone Creek will have 450 affordable homes, three parks with walking trails, workout stations, and a gazebo. This project not only provides homes but also enhances the quality of life in the community. Schoolchildren like Kailen can also attend Piedmont, Oklahoma’s excellent school district.

Let’s see if you’re ready for homeownership at Cornerstone Creek: Take this one-minute survey to see if you qualify: www.cornerstonecreek.org/cc-one-minute-survey. For more information, call 405-232-4828 or go to www.cohfh.org.