Yadira Salas stood outside the house of her dreams, watching a digital clock count down the minutes until noon, when her new home would officially be completed.
The four-bedroom home — dark blue, with white trim — was a special project led by the Habit for Humanity of San Antonio & Guadalupe Valley.
Dubbed the “50 Hour Home,” the house was being built over 50 consecutive hours to celebrate the nonprofit’s 50th anniversary.
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From Thursday through Saturday, Salas worked long hours with an army of volunteers, family and friends to make the house a reality. She helped put up exterior wall siding. She hefted and laid sod on her lawn. She helped install windows.
Putting that “sweat equity” into the home she and her three children will move into was the best part of the build, Salas said.
“Out of this whole experience, that’s what makes you feel even better about yourself, because you actually put your work into this,” said Salas, 34. “You feel grateful. You see your home and you’re like, ‘Wow, we did this.’”
‘The Habitat way’
Salas beamed during the home’s dedication ceremony at noon on Saturday, as Habitat staff, sponsors, clergy, family, friends and volunteers joined in the celebration.
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More than 1,000 volunteers took part in building the Habitat home, said Michael Taylor, president and CEO of Habitat for Humanity of San Antonio & Guadalupe Valley. He said Salas’ home is the first of 35 houses that will be built in the Habitat community called Methodist Meadows, off Chandler Road.
Volunteers lay sod on a Habitat for Humanity build that was constructed in 50 hours in honor of the organization’s 50th anniversary on Saturday.
Robin Jerstad/For the San Antonio Express News
A volunteer works on the Habitat for Humanity build on Saturday.
Robin Jerstad/For the San Antonio Express News
Yadira Salas works on what will become her home built by Habitat for Humanity on Saturday.
Robin Jerstad/For the San Antonio Express News
Taylor said funding from the city of San Antonio and Bexar County paid for the new community’s streets, drains and sidewalks. Volunteers worked two-hour shifts to construct interior and exterior walls to be used for future Habitat houses.
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“This is the Habitat way,” Taylor said. “The home stands as a testament to what can happen when a community comes together on a common goal.”
Habitat for Humanity of San Antonio was founded by Faith Lytle, wife of the Rev. William Lytle, former pastor of Madison Square Presbyterian Church. Lytle was inspired by Millard Fuller, who co-founded Habitat for Humanity International with his wife, Linda Fuller.
Lytle “wanted to provide long-term stability for families,” said Stephanie Wiese, Habitat’s chief development officer. “She thought affordable homeownership was the solution.”
The ecumenical Christian nonprofit organization works with low-income families to build affordable homes at no profit and zero interest. Families buying homes are required to do their part by putting in 300-plus work hours on their homes — something Habitat calls “sweat equity.” Their investment includes homebuyer readiness classes and working at the construction site and other families’ homes.
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Each Habitat home has three or four bedrooms and two bathrooms. The 1,500th Habitat home built by the San Antonio-area chapter was dedicated in April. According to Habitat, more than 11,000 people volunteer their time each year.
‘A big gift’
Before the dedication of Salas’ new home, the sound of volunteers hammering nails echoed across the area like hundreds of percussionists pounding on snare drums. Volunteers carried and stacked lumber. Six high school and six college summer interns from Habitat worked on the project, trudging across damp ground alongside workers like Robert Neufeld, an Oak Hills Church volunteer since 2018.
Neufeld said he looks forward to meeting Habitat homeowners. He said he’s stayed in contact with the owner of the second house he worked on, even hosting the man and his family on Christmas.
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“It’s heart-wrenching stories about what they’ve gone through to come to this point,” said Neufeld, 70. “This is one thing that people, like in our church, believe that helping others is a commandment in the Bible. That’s where my heart’s at, too.”
Methodist Healthcare Ministries sponsored the build. Alan Kramer, chief financial officer for Methodist Healthcare, said housing is the bedrock on which communities are built. He thanked the volunteers who worked to make the home a reality for the Salas family.
Volunteers Joe Castillo and Hector Urtegon haul wood for a Habitat for Humanity home on Saturday.
Robin Jerstad/For the San Antonio Express News
Rob Neuwfel, a volunteer, looks over a home built by Habitat for Humanity in honor of the organization’s 50th anniversary on Saturday.
Robin Jerstad/For the San Antonio Express News
Volunteers raise a framed wall for a home built by Habitat for Humanity over the weekend.
Robin Jerstad/For the San Antonio Express News
“It’s an amazing legacy, and I’m looking forward to 50 more years of builds,” Kramer said. “We can’t wait to see the future that family’s going to build and the future of all the residents of this neighborhood will do for San Antonio.”
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The Rev. Aaron Gonzalez blessed the new neighborhood.
“May these streets become places where neighbors know one another,” Gonzalez said, “where children laugh and play safely, where burdens are shared and where love is freely given.”
Bishop Gary Janak of the Archdiocese of San Antonio walked onto the property and anointed the home with a sprinkling of holy water.
“May this home always be a place of faith, hope and love,” the bishop said. “And may all who enter it know your peace and your goodness.”
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The road to homeownership wasn’t easy for Salas. She applied for the Habitat program twice before her application was approved. Salas said Habitat staff members helped her complete required paperwork and she was accepted on her third try.
After the ceremony, Salas thanked all involved with the build for their support and hard work. She welcomed the attendees into the residence she called “a big gift” for her children and herself.
“It’s a big accomplishment for myself as a single parent,” she said. “I’m so proud of my children, my family, my friends for all the support and everything.”
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Volunteers finish work on a Habitat for Humanity build in honor of the organization’s 50th anniversary on Saturday.
Robin Jerstad/For the San Antonio Express News