Mahaska County Habitat for Humanity would like to extend an invitation to the public to attend the Groundbreaking Celebration for the upcoming build with partner Jackie Criswell and her son, Dominic.

The brief ceremony will be held Tuesday evening, June 24, starting at 5:30 p.m., at the future home’s location on 1006 Mabel St. in Oskaloosa.

This is the 14th Habitat Home that the partner families and volunteers of Mahaska County Habitat for Humanity have built. This will be the first construction project that will involve the chapter’s new part-time executive director, Blaine Vos.

Mahaska County Habitat for Humanity is affiliated with Habitat for Humanity International, which is a nonprofit, ecumenical Christian housing ministry. Habitat for Humanity International and its affiliate chapters seek to eliminate poverty housing and homelessness from the world, and to make decent shelter a matter of conscience and action.

A partner family and volunteers work together build each home. Each partner family must work on the home for a certain number of hours before they can move in. The home is then sold to the family at no interest. The homeowners make a small down payment, followed by regular monthly payments that fit into their budget.

The homes are more affordable for persons with lower incomes in part because of the no-interest loan, and also because many of the materials to build the home are donated by local businesses and contractors.

Families are selected based on need for adequate shelter, ability to make the payments and willingness to fulfill the partner responsibilities. Families with income from 35 to 60 percent of the Mahaska County median income are eligible to apply. For more information about the work of Mahaska County Habitat for Humanity, the application process, or how to volunteer to help with the next home build, contact Mahaska County Habitat for Humanity Executive Director Blaine Vos at (641) 295-0513 or P.O. Box 583, Oskaloosa, Iowa 52577.