Mary Brumitte’s way beyond her required sweat equity hours.  Her straight-A-student-son, Ramsey, has already piled up a lot of his own sweat equity hours.  And Thursday, with warm sunshine streaming through the trees on East Fir Street, ground was broken for the family’s future Habitat Home.

A nice crowd showed its support for the Brumittes (PHOTO COURTESY OF SHARON GRAHAM)

Habitat for Humanity President Jerry Herod beamed as he talked of Mary, Ramsey and siblings, Keylyn and Jayden, as if he was showing off family.  In fact, he actually was, because the Brumittes are now a part of the Habitat Family.

TOP PHOTO:  L-R Keylyn, Jayden, Mary and Ramsey Brumitte

Mary is in her sixth year of full-time work at Hampton Inn at Caryville.  However, on her days off, Thursdays and Fridays, she’s at the Habitat Re-Store in La Follette like clockwork helping customers, making runs with the store truck and moving items in and out of the store.  It’s all these hours at the Re-Store that have pushed her off the chart with sweat equity hours toward a new Habitat Home.  Campbell County High School senior Ramsey is also earning hours at the Habitat store.

“Two homes will actually be built at the same time on the corner of South Cumberland Avenue and East Fir,” Herrod said. “It’s another way to save money by having trucks, tools and volunteers on site building side-by-side homes.”  Herod expects work to begin this week with a projected completion date of April 2019.

Ramsey Brumitte holds a sign created by Andrea Bowman as Jerry Herod (R) looks on.

“This is very special, and we are really excited,” said Mary, a CCHS alum.  Little Keylyn and Jayden were totally taken by surprise, because Mary did not share the good news with them until this week.  “The new home will bring stability to my family,” Mary added.  The Brumittes currently live east of La Follette.

This is the local Habitat’s 35th home.  But Herod points out the first 34 were built outside city limits making this the first Habitat Home built inside the City of LaFollette.  All-in-all, there are four lots where homes will be built in the city.

Habitat provides the money for the new home, and the new owners make monthly no interest payments for 20-years.  Herod notes  these payments are less than rent.

The first step toward a new Habitat for Humanity Home is making an application.  And process takes off from there.  For more information, stop by the Re-Store on East Central Avenue in La Follette or call 423.566.7316.  (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED – 10/05/2018-6AM)