PERTH AMBOY, N.J., November 14, 2024—Greater Middlesex & Morris Habitat for Humanity (GMM Habitat), a major builder and leading advocate for affordable housing in New Jersey, celebrated the completion of two new homes in Perth Amboy with a dedication and ribbon cutting ceremony on November 13. The celebration brought together the new Habitat homeowners, government officials, volunteers, donors and staff who partnered together to complete the new single-family homes for an Army veteran family of five and a three-generation civilian family of four.
“I stand before you today not only as a proud veteran who served nine years as a medic in the Army, but as someone who knows firsthand the value of community, kindness, and resilience,” said Mylcaryz Dellossantos. “Serving as a medic taught me about sacrifice, compassion, and the incredible strength of teamwork. But I can honestly say that today, here in the presence of people dedicated to lifting others up, I feel that same spirit of unity and dedication.” The Army veteran and first-time homeowner will be sharing the home with her husband and three school-age children.
The ribbon cuttings took place during GMM Habitat’s Veterans Build Week, a national initiative designed to provide housing solutions and volunteer and employment opportunities to U.S. veterans, military service members and their families.
“Veteran’s Day and Veteran’s Build Week hold special places in our hearts,” said Liz DeCoursey, GMM Habitat’s CEO. “It is a time when we come together as a community and a country to express our gratitude and appreciation to the brave men and women who have selflessly served our country. Our veterans have devoted their lives to protecting our freedoms, and to making our country the greatest force for stability and peace in the world. Their dedication and untold sacrifices are both humbling and inspiring.”
Perth Amboy Mayor Helmin Caba attended the groundbreaking and offered a warm welcome to the two families: “Today we’re not just looking at homes, we’re looking at futures…This is your space now, a place where love and dreams will grow.”
Also participating in the ceremony were 40 students from the Timothy Christian School in Piscataway. The students spent five days over the past year volunteering to help build the homes.
“Thank you, this is beyond our wildest dreams,” said Penelope Velez-Camacho, a member of the civilian family who were moving into their first-ever home, next door to the Dellosantoses. “It’s incredibly humbling to have so many people actively dedicating their time and effort toward helping us achieve our dreams.”
Helping to make those dreams a reality were 410 volunteers from civic, church, corporate and school groups who donated 2,826 hours of labor toward building the two-story, three-bedroom homes.
Additionally, both homes were featured in an episode of NBC TV’s home makeover show, “George to the Rescue.” The families received a full house of furnishings and interior design services as part of the show. To view the program, visit: https://www.morrishabitat.org/recent-news/georgetotherescue
GMM Habitat provides a hand up not a handout to affordable homeownership. Both new Perth Amboy homeowner families performed between 300 – 400 hours of ‘sweat equity’ working alongside other Habitat volunteers toward building their homes.
The homes were funded by donations and grants from: Citizens Bank, Investors Foundation, The Estate of Robert & Rose Kaeppel, Provident Bank Foundation, PSE&G, Rotary Old Bridge and Sayreville Club, Santander, TD Charitable Foundation. The homes also received funding from the Perth Amboy Redevelopment Team for Neighborhood Enterprise and Revitalization (P.A.R.T.N.E.R), the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the City of Perth Amboy.
