Raymond and Rita Salomon received the keys to a new environmentally friendly dream home at dedication ceremonies Saturday, held by Habitat for Humanity Altus Area Inc.; Habitat completed the first house in April 2001, and the Salomons’ home is the sixth project in the organization’s efforts to provide housing for qualified families.

The new 1,100-square-foot house at 1125 Cherry in Altus represents 4,000 volunteer hours of work by 360 different individuals over a 16-month period, beginning in April 2008. The home contains four bedrooms, two bathrooms, dining room, living room, kitchen and utility area. The volunteers also built a storm shelter and a storage unit within a fenced back yard.

According to Sam Letlinder, Habitat’s executive director, “Our objective is to build a house that meets the family’s needs and one that is also a ‘green’ house, meaning that the house is environmentally friendly and more energy efficient in all aspects.”

The Salomons’ new house contains not only the normal inside-wall insulation but also an inch of insulation between the outside boards and the siding. “That will help with heating and cooling bills,” Letlinder said. “Another aspect is the use of environmentally friendly products. All waste material goes into the landfill; with ‘green’ material, it will produce less waste or will break down or more readily. We’re doing better in that aspect with each house.”

During the ceremonies, Raymond Salomon, employee at the recycling center at Altus Air Force Base, thanked the Habitat volunteers and the persistent friend that encouraged him to apply for the home; he also expressed appreciation for his wonderful wife. “If it were not for Rita, I would still be in San Antonio,” he said. “I thank God and all these angels that came to help us. I want to thank everybody.”

After previously living in apartments with young daughters, Reyna and Angelina, Rita Salomon said, “Don’t take your screen doors for granted! I’m so thankful for Habitat and that we made that phone call (to apply). If there’s anybody else out there, all you have to have is perseverance, perseverance, also dedication and hard work.”

To qualify for a Habitat home, a family must have a verifiable need--such as two families living in one house or living in a rundown house or apartment. The family must contribute 500 hours (300 for a single parent) of community service--100 hours working on the house; and the family must be able to pay for the house.

“They have to help build the house; this is a hand up, not a hand down,” Letlinder said. “There are income guidelines, depending on the number of bread winners in the family and how many mouths they have to feed.”

Katie McAskill, former Habitat board vice president and currently a member of the Family Selection Committee, said the Salomons took the first step by attending a family orientation meeting, held at 5:30 p.m. on the first Tuesday of each month at the Rotary Center in Hightower Park. Then, Rose Mertz, money mentor at the Family Life Center, reviewed the Salomons’ financial situation and helped them prepare a budget and pay debts. The next step was the application to the Family Selection Committee. After reviewing credit and personal references, the Salomons’ application went to the board of directors, which accepted the family as a Habitat Partner. For more information about how to become a Habitat Partner, call the Habitat office at 580-480-0041.

After acceptance, the Family Support Committee, chaired by Vicki King, helped the Salomons as they attended classes in numerous areas—basic home maintenance, finance, etc. Time spent in the courses and time spent working on the house were applied to the 500 required hours. The Salomons purchased the house from Habitat with a zero-interest loan, financed by Habitat, for the total amount Habitat spent building the house.

Habitat retains the right to buy the house if the occupant leaves. After the owner of the first house at 1317 North Crain moved, Habitat purchased the two-bedroom house and added a bedroom for the next family.

McAskill opened Saturday’s dedication ceremony with a welcome and scripture reading and closed the event with a benediction and blessing. “It has been a long journey, but it has been worth it,” McAskill said. “There have been trials and tribulations, but we are very appreciative of all the hard work that everybody put in and appreciate the family and their church.”

Scripture readers were Millie Morris of the Promotions and Fundraising Committee and Mary McMican, volunteer.

Committee members and volunteers that blessed each individual room of the house were Glenn Stout, Vicki King, Jean Billman, M/Sgt. Mike Getlinger and Riva Snell. The crowd joined Snell in a prayer for the family: “O God, we pray that you will bless this home and those who live here with your gracious presence, that your love may be their inspiration, your wisdom their guide, your truth their light and your peace their benediction, through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Ron McMican, construction team volunteer, gave the keys of the house to the Salomons, and King gave them a certificate of occupancy. After an introduction by Habitat board member, Illando Sawyer, the Rev. Jan Ivan Oden, pastor at the Family Life Center, presented the Salomons a family bible. Billman and King recognized the major sponsors.

Getlinger, flight chief for the Airdrop Office of the 97th Operational Support Squadron, and Capt. Jeremy Farlino, 58th Airlift Squadron at Altus AFB, co-chaired the Construction Committee. Getlinger considered Architect Charles Fields, who helped with the blueprints for the home and the property, as one of the organization’s vital assets. “We are trying to expand the construction committee, hopefully, to build a little bit quicker and to increase our talent,” Getlinger said.

Riva Snell, Habitat board member and member of the Family Support Committee, presented the next Habitat homeowner, Courtney Wallace, a single mother with a young daughter. Groundbreaking is scheduled at 11 p.m. Saturday, October 17, at 415 N. Navajoe.

“This is a community project, and it is the community pulling together to better peoples’ lives--starting with the city of Altus allowing us to do what we do here and the different organizations that have helped raise money--churches, schools, professional organizations, Rotary, Lions Club, Altus AFB,” Letlinder said. “Think about all the people that have put hours into building this home to make this dream come true. Including the numbers that we can’t track, we’ve put more than 7,000 man hours into the project—people that serve at our monthly luncheons, golf tournaments, auctions and other sponsors. It’s great that this community as a whole makes this a reality. Thank you for all the volunteer support.”