Family Promise, Clayton® partner to help families thrive
Greenville, SC – December 12, 2019 – The Greenville United Ministries’ Interfaith Hospitality Network (IHN) and Clayton® hosted a ribbon cutting event today, officially donating a new 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom, off-site built home to Charles and Julie Merritt and their two sons. The Greenville family has worked tirelessly to improve living conditions for their children over the years.
The Merritts and their two sons entered the IHN Program in 2018 after leaving an uninhabitable rental unit. Despite physical disabilities, the parents worked closely with IHN to overcome housing obstacles, improve their financial stability and ensure that their children continue to access necessary educational resources.
“We are honored to join IHN in donating this new Clayton home to Charles, Julie and their two children, Jordan and Trevor,” said Susan Brown, director of philanthropy for Clayton. “They have shown continuous resilience over the years and we are excited to see them achieve the dream of homeownership just in time for the holidays.”
The home donation is part of a larger partnership between Family Promise (known locally as the United Ministries’ Interfaith Hospitality Network) and Clayton called A Future Begins at Home, which works toward helping end and prevent family homelessness. Family Promise and Clayton believe that helping this family – and others like them – brings us one step closer to becoming a nation in which every family has a home, a livelihood and the chance to build a better future.
“How wonderful to see this deserving family receive a new home,” said Tony McDade, Executive Director of IHN. “With partners like Clayton, we are able to do much more for our community and families who are so deserving of our help and support.”
The type of off-site built home that the Merritt family received offers a solution for many people looking for a beautiful home. Today’s affordable housing crisis continues to steepen across the U.S., making the dream of homeownership out of reach for many. As the cost of traditional housing continues to grow, off-site built homes (also known as prefabricated or manufactured homes) offer a solution as a more attainable quality housing option.
The Merritt’s new home features furniture donated by Ashley Furniture®, Belk® and organic mattresses provided by Avocado Mattress®.
“The future is bright when like-minded companies are willing to do great things together,” said Nick Herlihy, Store Manager for Belk. “By aligning our companies’ talents and passions, we’ve had the opportunity to create a beautiful, inviting home for the Merritt family.”
“We’re proud to partner with mission driven organizations like Family Promise,” said Bri Dekker, Sustainability Manager at Avocado Mattress. “By working hand in hand, we’re able to support a noble cause, keep our gently used products in the hands of well-deserving individuals and create new acceptable norms within the industry.”
“Giving back is part of our company’s commitment,” said Charlie Malouf of Ashley HomeStore®. “Our team is honored to be part of creating a forever home with Ashley HomeStore’s furniture donation for Jordan, Trevor and their parents.”
ABOUT CLAYTON
Founded in 1956, Clayton is committed to opening doors to a better life and building happyness® through homeownership. As a diverse home builder committed to quality and durability, Clayton offers traditional site-built homes and off-site built housing, including modular homes, manufactured homes, tiny homes, college dormitories, military barracks and apartments. In 2018, Clayton delivered 47,570 homes to families across America. Clayton is a Berkshire Hathaway company. For more information, visit claytonhomes.com.
ABOUT FAMILY PROMISE
Family Promise envisions a nation in which every family has a home, a livelihood, and the chance to build a better future. What began as a local initiative in Summit, NJ, has become a national movement that involves 200,000 volunteers and served more than 125,000 family members in 2018. Family Promise will change the future for 1 million children by 2030.
ABOUT UNITED MINISTRIES’ INTERFAITH HOSPITALITY NETWORK
United Ministries-Interfaith Hospitality Network (IHN) is the local affiliate of Family Promise, the premier national provider of services to and advocacy for homeless families. United Ministries has been working for 49 years to create a community where everyone can thrive. Originally established by local congregations to meet the crisis needs of people living in poverty, the agency has evolved to focus on developing the potential each family possesses to become self-sufficient and financially independent. The agency’s integrated service model discourages dependency on charity and promotes the dignity of work. For more information, visit united-ministries.org.
