Cincinnati Habitat to Dedicate Michelle Moses Memorial Home in Mt. Auburn on Dec. 20

CINCINNATI - The friends and family of Michelle Moses, along with Sunglass Hut and Luxottica employees are dedicating a new home in honor of Moses, a 21-year-old former Sunglass Hut employee who died in a car accident in December 2008.

The community is invited to the Dedication ceremony on Sunday, December 20 at 2 p.m. at 2016 Ryan Ave in Mt. Auburn. Cincinnati Habitat for Humanity will welcome Garry Moses, Moses' father, and Dan Nowlin, Senior Vice President of Sunglass Hut as speakers for the dedication.

Moses' friends and family contacted Cincinnati Habitat to work together to build a house in her honor. Since Moses was active in volunteering and helped rebuild homes after Hurricane Katrina, they thought coordinating a home build for a family in Cincinnati would be a fitting tribute.

"There's no better way to honor Michelle and the Moses family than to work side-by-side with family, friends and Habitat to build a home for a family in need," said Nowlin. "It's been a tremendous united effort and hopefully, a step in healing for all of us." Moses' co-workers helped create an enterprise-wide effort to help support the project. Hundreds of employees, families and friends provided all the volunteer labor needed to build the house and raised $125,000 to provide funding. A Facebook Group, http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=55872546214&ref=ts, and Cause page, http://apps.facebook.com/causes/217467/46174055?m=6d54c0aa, were created to raise awareness and support for these efforts.

Danetta Lumpkins, and her two teenage children, Donald and Aries, were selected as the partner family for this home. They took part in the construction and the home will be sold to Lumpkins with a 0%, 20-year, interest-free mortgage payable to Cincinnati Habitat for Humanity. Her monthly mortgage payment will be approximately $400 (including her closing costs, taxes and insurance).

"My family has waited a long time for this chance to buy our own home and this was a chance that we didn't think would ever be possible or attainable," said Lumpkins. "Just to be able to afford a home is a blessing and this opportunity through Habitat for Humanity is a once in a lifetime experience for us."

About Cincinnati Habitat for Humanity

Cincinnati Habitat for Humanity is a non-profit Christian housing ministry that seeks to eliminate substandard housing by building and renovating simple, decent, affordable homes to sell to low-income families in need. Cincinnati Habitat works in equal partnership with families, volunteers, and donors building a sense of community as well as affordable housing. Our partners include corporations, churches, foundations, organizations and individual donors who donate money, labor, and materials to fund and build our homes. Cincinnati Habitat has built over 160 homes in neighborhoods that include Avondale, Clifton, Columbia Tusculum, Evanston, Harrison, Hyde Park, Lincoln Heights, Lockland, Madisonville, Mt. Auburn, Mt. Washington, North Fairmount, Northside, Oakley, Over-the-Rhine, Price Hill, South Cumminsville, South Fairmount, Walnut Hills, Westwood and Winton Place. For more information, visit www.cincinnati-habitat.org.