Volunteers provide most of the labor, and individual and corporate donors provide money and materials to build Habitat houses. Partner families themselves invest hundreds of hours of labor - "sweat equity" - into building their homes and the homes of others. Their mortgage payments go into a revolving Fund for Humanity that is used to build more houses here in Madison County.

The Habitat for Humanity International web site contains more information on Habitat's history, mission, volunteer opportunities and contact information for other Habitat affiliates around the world.

Habitat for Humanity of Madison County officially became an affiliate on April 1, 1992.  But even during its formation in 1991, this affiliate assisted the 15 House Project, a one-week inner-city blitz in nearby Lexington, KY.  During 1994, this affiliate participated in the statewide 107 house project, KY HOMECOMING '94, by building two new houses.

In June of 1996, the Madison County Affiliate did its first blitz build of one house in preparation for the 1997 Jimmy Carter Work Project.  The outpouring of financial and physical support made the week an outstanding success. Berea College generously donated a plot of land at the edge of the college forest for the site of the Jimmy Carter Work Project   In that project, the affiliate built 6 houses in one week, three each in Richmond and Berea, and then went on to build a seventh house in the fall (Building on Faith Week).

1998 saw the affiliate's first Women-led build. The Northern family's housing situation was described in Habitat International's fund raising campaign for which the affiliate received $10,000.

In 2001, the affiliate hosted the first ever Habitat Mayoral Build in Berea and partnered with a blind applicant to build a house through a grant from the Lions Club.

In 2002, the affiliate built the first house in Hope Estates, a sub-division being developed by Habitat Madison County that will eventually hold 24 new homes.

Since 1997, the Farris Foundation of Lawrenceville, Georgia,  has sponsored a home each year in Madison County.

Supplemental funding has come from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Cincinnati through Madison Bank, The Kentucky Housing Corporation, and the SHOP and Capacity Building programs through Habitat International.

Berea College Campus Ministry sponsored one home, and Eastern Kentucky University's Public Relations Student Organization raised almost $10,000 toward a home.

At the end of 2007 Habitat had built 68 homes in Madison County creating an affordable safe setting for 104 adults and 136 children.

In 2007 the Madison County affiliate merged with the Clark County affiliate to form Habitat for Humanity of Madison and Clark Counties. We will build at least 4 more houses in 2007.  With your continued support, perhaps we can do even more.   

With each of Habitat's homes, a tithe is sent to Habitat International to provide for another home in a developing country.