Clarkesville, Ga. — Forty years ago today, a small group of volunteers, community leaders, and supporters gathered on a patch of land at the foot of Hood Street in Cleveland for what they hoped would become something much bigger.
On March 15, 1986, Habitat for Humanity of Northeast Georgia broke ground on its first home, launching a mission that would go on to provide affordable housing for dozens of families across Habersham and White counties.
The ceremony marked the beginning of construction for Habitat’s first partner family — Mary Nicely and her four children — and symbolized the arrival of the global Habitat for Humanity movement in Northeast Georgia.
At the time, the effort was described as part of a “worldwide Christian organization providing low-cost, interest-free housing for poverty-level people.” The organization had just established its local headquarters in Clarkesville and was beginning its work with the help of volunteers, churches, civic groups, and donors throughout the community.
The groundbreaking ceremony was led by Rev. Gerald Peterson of St. Mark’s Catholic Church in Clarkesville, who served as master of ceremonies. Also participating were Bo Turner, then Habitat director and mayor of Clarkesville; Don Ricketts, president of People’s Bank and a representative of the Cleveland Chamber of Commerce; and Don Stanley, mayor of Cleveland.
Stanley even proclaimed the week of the ceremony “Humanity Week” in Cleveland, recognizing the significance of the project for the community.
Support for the effort quickly followed. During the ceremony, Habitat secretary and treasurer Joe Stapleton presented a $9,500 check to purchase the property where the first home would be built. Local residents Jerry Ward and Freddie Ward also contributed a $2,000 donation to support the project.
Habitat homes were designed to provide families with an alternative to traditional financing that might otherwise be unavailable. Families selected for the program were required to help build their homes alongside volunteers and commit to affordable monthly payments — typically $100 or less, including taxes, for up to 20 years — with no interest.
The original article emphasized that Habitat’s philosophy was not charity but partnership.
“Believing that what the poor need are co-workers, not caseworkers,” the organization’s literature explained, “Habitat forms a partnership with the poor. Habitat for Humanity is not a handout; it is people helping people help themselves so they may in turn help others.”
Forty years later, that philosophy continues to guide the organization’s work.
According to Habitat for Humanity of Northeast Georgia, the organization has now built more than 82 homes in Habersham and White counties since that first groundbreaking in 1986. Today, Habitat homes #83 and #84 are currently under construction, continuing a legacy that began with the Nicely family nearly four decades ago.
The organization recently reflected on that milestone in a message marking the anniversary, recalling the excitement of that first groundbreaking and the community support that made it possible.
The headline of Habitat’s newsletter at the time read simply: “The Day Has Arrived and Everyone Is Invited.”
In many ways, that invitation still stands.
Habitat for Humanity of Northeast Georgia continues to rely on volunteers, donors, and community partners to carry out its mission of building homes and strengthening families across the region.
Those interested in supporting Habitat’s ongoing work — whether by volunteering at a build site, donating, or learning more about upcoming events — can contact Executive Director Brian Young at director@habitatnega.org.
What began as a hopeful experiment on a Cleveland hillside has grown into a forty-year legacy of community partnership — one house, and one family, at a time.
