Volusia Woods Open House on September 6th and Home Dedications on September 7th
Habitat for Humanity of St. Augustine/St. Johns County

Habitat for Humanity of St. Augustine/St. Johns County (Habitat St. Johns) invites anyone interested in seeing the Volusia Woods homes we are building in St. Johns County to come out to our Open House on Friday, September 6th between 10:00am and 4:00pm. The address will be 858 Helen Street, St. Augustine, FL 32084 (just off Volusia Street near the circle to Four Mile Road.)

Habitat St. Johns will also be hosting two home dedications the next day, Saturday, September 7th from 10:30 to 12:30 for Fe and Antwanette. The home dedications are always uplifting and heartfelt. Come out and witness the joy and satisfaction that will be experienced when the key is presented. Come hear their stories and congratulate them on becoming the newest Habitat St. Johns homeowners.

The first three homes were built thanks to the generous support of The Raintree Restaurant, O.C. Whites Seafood & Spirits and Publix Charities. They each partnered to build one of the three homes. Everything Cool has generously stepped up and temporarily furnished the homes to give everyone an idea of what a furnished home could look like.

“We invite you to join us at Volusia Woods on September 6th and or September 7th for these two fun events. We have been looking forward to this for months now!” stated Malinda Everson, Executive Director of Habitat for Humanity of St. Augustine/St. Johns County. “Habitat St. Johns is very proud of the new homeowners. They have all put in a lot of hard work and dedication to get to this point, including over 200 sweat equity hours each. Homeownership provides the stability, security and opportunity for generational wealth that many of us take for granted. We are excited to be moving these deserving, local families and individuals into their new homes.”

Malinda continued ”This work wouldn’t be possible without all of our partners, donors, volunteers, the St. Johns County and City of St. Augustine leadership and staff, and everyone else we work with to make this possible. You are all an important part of the Habitat St. Johns family, and we are lucky and blessed!”

We want to thank some of our partners including, Baker Distributing for donating all of the air conditioning systems, St. Augustine Kitchen and Bath for donating all of the kitchen and bathroom countertops, Memorial Presbyterian Church, Knights of Columbus Council # 7121, and Knights of Columbus St. John Paul II #16492 for donating the washing machines and dryers, the Board of Realtors for donating the microwaves and dishwashers, and Lowe’s for providing great pricing for most everything else we buy to complete the home.

A special thank you to Whirlpool for donating the refrigerators and ovens/stoves, Levolor Blinds for donating the bedroom and bathroom blinds, and Schneider for donating the electrical supplies for all Habitat for Humanity homes throughout the United States.

Habitat St. Johns’ Volusia Woods neighborhood, located near the circle along North Volusia Street, is also the beginning of a new strategic plan that will help accelerate the speed and building capacity of Habitat St. Johns from an average of six homes per year to thirty homes per year by 2028-29. Habitat St. Johns is replicating the model other Habitat Florida affiliates have successfully implemented to enable them to build over thirty homes each year to better meet the needs of the county’s workers and residents.

Volusia Woods is Habitat St. Johns’ fourth neighborhood in just over thirty years of operation and will consist of thirty-six homes when it is finished. Volusia Woods is located on N. Volusia Street near the roundabout on Aiken Street that connects to Four Mile Road. It is just a few blocks north of Canopy Oaks, the third Habitat St. Johns neighborhood completed in 2023.

Habitat St. Johns is working hard to help these hardworking, local, deserving families and individuals find a place to live in the county where they work, want to raise their families, and live their lives.

I recently caught up with one of our Canopy Oaks homeowners, Cassey, who had this to say:

“I cannot emphasize enough the stability alone that comes from owning a Habitat St. Johns home. Homeownership provides a sense of security and is a basic need all people should have. The county is growing so quickly, and the housing market is out of control. Safe and affordable housing should be available for everyone, especially the regular working people in our community”.

“I am so glad I have my home. I am so happy that I can use my artistic freedom to paint my home the way I want”.

Habitat for Humanity of St. Augustine/St. Johns County has been serving our county’s hardworking families and individuals for over 30 years and is an affiliate of Habitat for Humanity, International that originated in Americus Georgia in 1976. Since 1992, Habitat for Humanity of St. Augustine/St. Johns County has built approximately 170 houses for families and individuals in need. To qualify for homeownership, applicants must demonstrate need, ability to pay, willingness to partner through two hundred sweat equity hours and have worked or lived in St. Johns County for at least one year.