Luncheon Honors Habitat's Volunteers

About 150 Habitat volunteers ate delicious Southern food, enjoyed a dance presentation and speech by Habitat homeowners, and saw Cameron and Sue Kent receive an award for their many years of service to Habitat at the 2011 Volunteer Luncheon.

Sherry Flynn, Habitat Forsyth’s volunteer services coordinator, told of the Kent family’s many contributions of time and talent, including the entire family’s work in hand-crafting holiday ornaments for Habitat to sell as an annual fund raiser. The Kents’ handiwork has resulted in a total of $175,000 being raised over the last 11 years. Son Colin has been active in Youth United, and daughter Lauren has sung at Habitat home dedications.

In addition to swinging a hammer alongside other volunteers on construction sites, Cameron has helped to broaden public awareness about Habitat’s work through his job as an anchor at WXII. He has also been an emcee at BirdFest for many years. Sue organized the first UNITY Build for Habitat and continues with this project, engaging the Presbyterian Interracial Dialogue, Temple Emanuel and local Mosques in planning what will be Habitat’s fourth such build in 2012.

Most important, the Kents’ warmth and humanity have touched many lives, Flynn said. “In December of last year, a group of developmentally challenged adults from Monarch Industries came to Habitat to help prepare the ornaments for mailing,” Flynn recalled. “They were so excited to be packing the boxes, because they knew that Cameron and his family had made the ornaments. To them, he was a celebrity they watched on TV every day. Imagine their surprise when he and Sue stopped by to visit.” After finding out that some of the Monarch clients could not come to Habitat because of physical disabilities, Cameron went by there as well.

Earlier in the program, Patricia Hall, who recently moved into her Habitat home in Trent Hill and who has authored a book of poetry, shared her gratitude to Habitat with the audience, and Dawanna Benjamin, whose home is being built in Trent Hill now, delighted the crowd with an African dance, accompanied by two drummers, including her son Kaleel, 13.

If you missed this year’s luncheon, stay tuned for information about next year’s. We love our volunteers! We could not do what we do without you!