
Submitted photo | Jefferson Post
Representatives of LifeStore officially hand over the lot deed to representatives of Ashe County’s Chapter of Habitat for Humanity. Those on hand for the donation were (from left) Howell Pruitt, Walt Petersen, Joedy Eller, Matt Rumfelt, Bill Wheeler, Bill Sharpe, and Wayne Johnson.
LifeStore Bank recently presented the deed for a building lot to the Ashe County Habitat for Humanity.
The Ashe County Habitat, organized three years ago, is a non-profit organization that builds homes using volunteers from our community then sells the homes to approved homeowner applicants. Homeowners pay no-profit, no-interest monthly mortgage payments toward the full ownership of their homes.
“This land donated by LifeStore can be used for a home in the future or as they see fit,” according to Joedy Eller, Chief Banking Officer for LifeStore. The Ashe County Habitat chapter is close to completing the work on their first home. It was started in 2011 and the family is scheduled to move in July 1.
The first house has been built with donated materials and a volunteer workforce, mostly working on Saturday. Their builders risk insurance was provided by LifeStore Insurance through Builders Mutual Insurance Company. Visit their website at http://ashehabitat.org/how-does-it-work/ and select Buffalo Meadows House No. 1 Gallery to see their work.
“We are very excited about our progress,” commented Bill Wheeler, president and one of the original board members of the Ashe County Habitat for Humanity. “It’s institutions and businesses like LifeStore that make Habitat in Ashe County possible. Thank you for this terrific gift.”
The house that you will see in the photo gallery has been carefully designed to be attractive, functional and energy efficient. “The estimated cost of electricity for this house is $0.98 per day,” said Bill Sharpe, treasurer. Moving into and owning a Habitat home improves the quality of life for its residents, not only in their physical surroundings, but also by instilling a sense of pride and responsibility which comes with home ownership.
Eller summed up the motivation behind this donation by saying, “We support the many steps that Habitat takes to make home ownership a reality and are glad to help out.”
LifeStore Financial Group, headquartered in West Jefferson, provides banking, investment and insurance services. It is a federally chartered thrift holding company that owns 100 percent of the common stock of LifeStore Bank (Member FDIC and Equal Housing Lender) and operates branches in Boone, Jefferson, Warrensville and West Jefferson. LifeStore Insurance is an independent insurance agency that serves these markets along with Elkin, Lenoir, North Wilkesboro and Sparta.
















