Visit Cornerstone Creek
From ‘Musical Chairs’ to Room for Everyone: Family Celebrates Habitat Home in Cornerstone Creek
Tommi and Ismael Baby Welcome Sign
(L-R) L-R) Tommi and Ismael M. and their son, Ezra, pose in the doorway of their new Habitat home after the Central Oklahoma Habitat home dedication on March 13, in Cornerstone Creek.
When Ismael and Tommi M. prepared to celebrate their son Ezra’s first birthday last fall, they realized their small rental in Moore could not accommodate the gathering.
The couple explained in their Central Oklahoma Habitat for Humanity New Home Construction (COHFH) program application, “If more than four people came over, it basically turned into a fire hazard and a game of musical chairs.”
Now, through Habitat, the family is living in a new, energy-efficient and affordable home in Cornerstone Creek – a place where loved ones can finally gather.
They wrote, “Our previous home was very small. Now we have a home where we can welcome friends and family, which means the world to us. This place represents stability and allows our family to grow.”
Tommi serves as the worship director at Hope Connection Church in south Oklahoma City, and Ismael works as a client adviser for Nelson Mazda. During the family’s Habitat home dedication, they received home blessings from various faith leaders, including their Hope Connection Church Pastor Chris Helms and Deacon John Teague from St. John Nepomuk Catholic Church in Yukon, Oklahoma. The couple says their faith has guided them through the journey to homeownership.
“We believe God is taking care of our family,” they said. “The way this home came together has truly shown us the favor and provision of God. We feel so grateful and humbled by how everything has unfolded.”
A trained vocalist, Tommi also worked for three years as a music teacher at St. Eugene Catholic School in The Village, Oklahoma City. Ismael is also an accomplished drummer, so music is central to the family’s lives. The couple says they always dreamed of having a music space in their home.
“Music is a huge part of our lives,” they said. “We’ve dreamed of creating a small music or studio room where we can practice, create, and continue sharing music with others
Looking ahead, the Mejias say they are thankful for their partnership with Habitat.
“We are incredibly thankful to Habitat and the entire team that made this possible — not just for us, but for so many families who have dreamed of having a home,” they said. “This house is more than four walls and a roof to us. It is a place where memories will be made, where faith and family will grow, and where we can open our doors to others.”
(L-R) COHFH Chair/CEO Ann Felton Gilliland congratulates Tommi and Ismael M., and their son, Ezra, during the dedication of their beautiful new Habitat home in Cornerstone Creek.
COHFH Chair/CEO Ann Felton Gilliland said Tommi and Ismael’s home is the 1,159th home built by Habitat in Central Oklahoma since 1990.
“We are currently raising funds to support infrastructure for Phase II of our Cornerstone Creek building plan,” Felton Gilliland said. “Community support is essential as we continue building affordable housing opportunities and fulfilling the promise of Cornerstone Creek for families in Central Oklahoma.”
To learn more about Habitat, visit www.cohfh.org. To donate, text MAKEHOMEHAPPEN to 50155 or call 405-232-4828.
