Christie Sowell hugs her friend who came to sing a song and celebrate her move in day. June 27, 2023, Habitat for Humanity held a home dedication ceremony at its Onward Street neighborhood marking the first completed home of its new affordable housing development in Fort Myers. The family was welcomed home and celebrated their journey to homeownership. Situated between McCormick St. and Prospect Ave., the 6-acre Habitat HOA community will feature 29 single-family homes once completed.
For Christie Sowell, moving her four children out of their two-bedroom apartment seemed out of reach. But this weekend, she is throwing their three-level bunk bed to the curb, and her dream of becoming a homeowner becomes a reality.
Habitat for Humanity of Lee and Hendry Counties, in partnership with Coca-Cola Beverages Florida, held a ceremony in Fort Myers Tuesday to welcome Sowell and her family to their new four-bedroom home.
“This is a blessing,” Sowell said. “I haven’t done a toe-touch since varsity cheerleading in high school in ‘98. I will probably do a toe-touch later. I’ll probably do cartwheels up and down my hallway.”
"Only up from here" Fort Myers family gets keys to Habitat home
Sowell, the mother of four minor and two adult children, said it was “a breath of fresh air” that she and her family have a home they can “grow into.” For five years, her three oldest children shared a triple bunk bed in a single room.
She said she could not afford to become a homeowner on her income and with the current prices of homes in the area. Her mother, who has owned a Habitat home for 22 years, encouraged her to apply for the program.
“As I stand here today, I promise to give back to society by volunteering my time and resources to ensure that more walls are raised, more families are helped and more dreams are realized,” Sowell said, addressing everyone who attended the ceremony.
With their own rooms, Sowell said the children are excited to have space to make their YouTube videos they love to create but couldn’t in the apartment.
“If they wanted to do certain videos and you couldn’t have people in the background, you couldn’t help that because, being in a two-bedroom apartment, like, where could everybody else go?” she said.
Sowell’s daughter Kiari, who was 10 when they moved into the apartment, said she is excited about not having to share a bedroom.
“Going through my teenage stuff with an older brother and a younger brother, I had to share,” the now 15-year-old said. “Having to share a bathroom and space, it was hard.”
Her brothers David, 16, and Cameron, 10, will also have their own bedrooms.
After her sister Shania, now 22, went to college, their brother Teyson was born. “It was hard because now there’s a baby running around in a two-bedroom apartment,” she said, referring to the one-year-old.
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Grandma, Brenda Sowell, kisses her grandson’s arm as Christie Sowell holds her one year old son, Tayson Simons. June 27, 2023, Habitat for Humanity held a home dedication ceremony at its Onward Street neighborhood marking the first completed home of its new affordable housing development in Fort Myers. The family was welcomed home and celebrated their journey to homeownership. Situated between McCormick St. and Prospect Ave., the 6-acre Habitat HOA community will feature 29 single-family homes once completed.
Andrea Melendez/WGCU
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The street is filling full of homes as the first home was blessed today. June 27, 2023, Habitat for Humanity held a home dedication ceremony at its Onward Street neighborhood marking the first completed home of its new affordable housing development in Fort Myers. The family was welcomed home and celebrated their journey to homeownership. Situated between McCormick St. and Prospect Ave., the 6-acre Habitat HOA community will feature 29 single-family homes once completed.
Andrea Melendez/WGCU
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Christie Sowell and a few of her older kids, Shania Church, 22, (right), Kiari Church, 15,(center) and David church 16, during the ceremony. June 27, 2023, Habitat for Humanity held a home dedication ceremony at its Onward Street neighborhood marking the first completed home of its new affordable housing development in Fort Myers. The family was welcomed home and celebrated their journey to homeownership. Situated between McCormick St. and Prospect Ave., the 6-acre Habitat HOA community will feature 29 single-family homes once completed.
Andrea Melendez/WGCU
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Kiari Church, 15, bows their head as the blessing was given. June 27, 2023, Habitat for Humanity held a home dedication ceremony at its Onward Street neighborhood marking the first completed home of its new affordable housing development in Fort Myers. The family was welcomed home and celebrated their journey to homeownership. Situated between McCormick St. and Prospect Ave., the 6-acre Habitat HOA community will feature 29 single-family homes once completed.
Andrea Melendez/WGCU
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A friend sang a song for Christie and her family June 27, 2023, Habitat for Humanity held a home dedication ceremony at its Onward Street neighborhood marking the first completed home of its new affordable housing development in Fort Myers. The family was welcomed home and celebrated their journey to homeownership. Situated between McCormick St. and Prospect Ave., the 6-acre Habitat HOA community will feature 29 single-family homes once completed.
Andrea Melendez/WGCU
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Christie Sowell was all smiles. June 27, 2023, Habitat for Humanity held a home dedication ceremony at its Onward Street neighborhood marking the first completed home of its new affordable housing development in Fort Myers. The family was welcomed home and celebrated their journey to homeownership. Situated between McCormick St. and Prospect Ave., the 6-acre Habitat HOA community will feature 29 single-family homes once completed.
Andrea Melendez/WGCU
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Christie Sowell hugs her friend who came to sing a song and celebrate her move in day. June 27, 2023, Habitat for Humanity held a home dedication ceremony at its Onward Street neighborhood marking the first completed home of its new affordable housing development in Fort Myers. The family was welcomed home and celebrated their journey to homeownership. Situated between McCormick St. and Prospect Ave., the 6-acre Habitat HOA community will feature 29 single-family homes once completed.
Andrea Melendez/WGCU
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“A Key” Christie Sowell exclaimed as she opened gifts from Coca-Cola Beverages Florida, LLC. They were a big contributor to this build. Jack Palmorn, Territory General Manager for Fort Myers presented her with the key as well as other gifts. June 27, 2023, Habitat for Humanity held a home dedication ceremony at its Onward Street neighborhood marking the first completed home of its new affordable housing development in Fort Myers. The family was welcomed home and celebrated their journey to homeownership. Situated between McCormick St. and Prospect Ave., the 6-acre Habitat HOA community will feature 29 single-family homes once completed.
Andrea Melendez/WGCU
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“A Key” Christie Sowell exclaimed as she opened gifts from Coca-Cola Beverages Florida, LLC. They were a big contributor to this build. Jack Palmorn, Territory General Manager for Fort Myers presented her with the key as well as other gifts. June 27, 2023, Habitat for Humanity held a home dedication ceremony at its Onward Street neighborhood marking the first completed home of its new affordable housing development in Fort Myers. The family was welcomed home and celebrated their journey to homeownership. Situated between McCormick St. and Prospect Ave., the 6-acre Habitat HOA community will feature 29 single-family homes once completed.
Andrea Melendez/WGCU
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Christie Sowell talks to one of the workers who came over to congratulate her. He was working on a neighboring home. June 27, 2023, Habitat for Humanity held a home dedication ceremony at its Onward Street neighborhood marking the first completed home of its new affordable housing development in Fort Myers. The family was welcomed home and celebrated their journey to homeownership. Situated between McCormick St. and Prospect Ave., the 6-acre Habitat HOA community will feature 29 single-family homes once completed.
Andrea Melendez/WGCU
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Shania Church22, looks at the closet, as Kiari church,15, Teyson Simons, 1, run around the room. June 27, 2023, Habitat for Humanity held a home dedication ceremony at its Onward Street neighborhood marking the first completed home of its new affordable housing development in Fort Myers. The family was welcomed home and celebrated their journey to homeownership. Situated between McCormick St. and Prospect Ave., the 6-acre Habitat HOA community will feature 29 single-family homes once completed.
Andrea Melendez/WGCU
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Cameron Church, 10, was in awe of his room. June 27, 2023, Habitat for Humanity held a home dedication ceremony at its Onward Street neighborhood marking the first completed home of its new affordable housing development in Fort Myers. The family was welcomed home and celebrated their journey to homeownership. Situated between McCormick St. and Prospect Ave., the 6-acre Habitat HOA community will feature 29 single-family homes once completed.
Andrea Melendez/WGCU
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Christie Sowell goes through some of the gifts from Coca-Cola Beverages Florida, LLC. They were a big contributor to this build. Jack Palmorn, Territory General Manager for Fort Myers presented her with the gifts. June 27, 2023, Habitat for Humanity held a home dedication ceremony at its Onward Street neighborhood marking the first completed home of its new affordable housing development in Fort Myers. The family was welcomed home and celebrated their journey to homeownership. Situated between McCormick St. and Prospect Ave., the 6-acre Habitat HOA community will feature 29 single-family homes once completed.
Andrea Melendez/WGCU
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One-year-old Teyson Simons checks out some of the Coca-Cola swag. His mom Christie Sowell looks on. June 27, 2023, Habitat for Humanity held a home dedication ceremony at its Onward Street neighborhood marking the first completed home of its new affordable housing development in Fort Myers. The family was welcomed home and celebrated their journey to homeownership. Situated between McCormick St. and Prospect Ave., the 6-acre Habitat HOA community will feature 29 single-family homes once completed.
Andrea Melendez/WGCU
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Christie Sowell talks about her experience working with Habitat for Humanity to make her home dream a reality. June 27, 2023, Habitat for Humanity held a home dedication ceremony at its Onward Street neighborhood marking the first completed home of its new affordable housing development in Fort Myers. The family was welcomed home and celebrated their journey to homeownership. Situated between McCormick St. and Prospect Ave., the 6-acre Habitat HOA community will feature 29 single-family homes once completed.
Andrea Melendez/WGCU
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Christie Sowell talks about her experience working with Habitat for Humanity to make her home dream a reality. June 27, 2023, Habitat for Humanity held a home dedication ceremony at its Onward Street neighborhood marking the first completed home of its new affordable housing development in Fort Myers. The family was welcomed home and celebrated their journey to homeownership. Situated between McCormick St. and Prospect Ave., the 6-acre Habitat HOA community will feature 29 single-family homes once completed.
Andrea Melendez/WGCU
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Christie Sowell talks about her experience working with Habitat for Humanity to make her home dream a reality. June 27, 2023, Habitat for Humanity held a home dedication ceremony at its Onward Street neighborhood marking the first completed home of its new affordable housing development in Fort Myers. The family was welcomed home and celebrated their journey to homeownership. Situated between McCormick St. and Prospect Ave., the 6-acre Habitat HOA community will feature 29 single-family homes once completed.
Andrea Melendez/WGCU
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Christie Sowell talks about her experience working with Habitat for Humanity to make her home dream a reality. June 27, 2023, Habitat for Humanity held a home dedication ceremony at its Onward Street, neighborhood, marking the first completed home of its new affordable housing development in Fort Myers. The family was welcomed home and celebrated their journey to homeownership. Situated between McCormick St. and Prospect Ave., the 6-acre Habitat HOA community will feature 29 single-family homes once completed.
Andrea Melendez/WGCU
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This is Christie Sowell’s new home. June 27, 2023, Habitat for Humanity held a home dedication ceremony at its Onward Street neighborhood marking the first completed home of its new affordable housing development in Fort Myers. The family was welcomed home and celebrated their journey to homeownership. Situated between McCormick St. and Prospect Ave., the 6-acre Habitat HOA community will feature 29 single-family homes once completed.
Andrea Melendez/WGCU
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Christie Sowell gets a ceremonial key to her home from Coca-Cola Beverages Florida, LLC’s, Jack Palmorn, Territory General Manager for Fort Myers. He presented her with the gifts and Coca-Cola was a big contributor in this build. June 27, 2023, Habitat for Humanity held a home dedication ceremony at its Onward Street neighborhood, marking the first completed home of its new affordable housing development in Fort Myers. The family was welcomed home and celebrated their journey to homeownership. Situated between McCormick St. and Prospect Ave., the 6-acre Habitat HOA community will feature 29 single-family homes once completed.
Andrea Melendez/WGCU
Kiari said she can’t wait to be able to “just sleep in” or close her door and watch TV alone. “They’re boys, so they don’t want to watch girls basketball,” she said. “I can watch it by myself, without them interrupting me.”
Sowell spent a lot of time away from the kids while the home was being built, Kiari said. “But it paid off because we have a house now,” she added.
Jack Palmorn, the Coca-Cola Territory General Manager for Fort Myers, was also present. Coca-Cola helped fund the project, and employees volunteered their time to build the home.
"Being a part of Coke Florida, the idea was not to just go throw money at something. It was to be a part of it. And being on the ground level, being a part of your community means showing up. It means being active. It means grabbing a hammer, grabbing nails."
Jack Palmorn, Coca-Cola Territory General Manager for Fort Myers
“Being a part of Coke Florida, the idea was not to just go throw money at something,” Palmorn said. “It was to be a part of it. And being on the ground level, being a part of your community means showing up. It means being active. It means grabbing a hammer, grabbing nails.”
Between employees and their family members, 100 volunteers dedicated their time from the Fort Myers Coca-Cola facility. The company has committed to building two homes a year with Habitat.
“This story will permeate across our county, across my facility of 300 people when I go back,” he said. “And I hope it’s the story of the year, is making some family very, very important and excited about their future.”
Standing in the driveway of Sowell’s new home on Onward Street, Palmorn gave the house key to the new homeowner.
“In my world of leadership, we talk about tearing walls down,” he said. “With Habitat, it’s about building walls. But whether you build them or whether you tear them down, one thing matters, that you all meet in the front yard.”
Habitat purchased the land Sowell’s home was built on 10 years ago. Near Tice Elementary, the neighborhood will be a 29-home Habitat development once completed within the next two years. In August, four more homes are expected to go up.
Becky Lucas, the CEO of Habitat, said the number of homes built each year is determined by support from the county, municipalities, community and donors.
Andrea Melendez/WGCU
“A Key” Christie Sowell exclaimed as she opened gifts from Coca-Cola Beverages Florida, LLC. They were a big contributor to this build. Jack Palmorn, Territory General Manager for Fort Myers presented her with the key as well as other gifts. June 27, 2023, Habitat for Humanity held a home dedication ceremony at its Onward Street neighborhood marking the first completed home of its new affordable housing development in Fort Myers. The family was welcomed home and celebrated their journey to homeownership. Situated between McCormick St. and Prospect Ave., the 6-acre Habitat HOA community will feature 29 single-family homes once completed.
“Coca-Cola contacted us around the time of the hurricane, wanting to be a solution, understanding that affordable housing in our area was a critical issue,” she said. “Not only are they providing the financial funds necessary to make this home possible, but also, they put in hundreds of hours of volunteer services through their employees.”
Lucas said Habitat is working with more families now than ever before. “There was a critical housing issue prior to Hurricane Ian,” she said. “And now, afterwards, we are seeing an increase in the number of families that are coming to us for help.”
This year, Habitat dedicated and closed 66 homes. Next year, 68 more will be built.
“We recognize that for the families we serve, there is no other solution for safe, decent and affordable housing,” Lucas said. “We’re very fortunate to be able to partner with families like Christie to be able to offer that dream of affordable homeownership to her and her family.”
“Just seeing the smiles on the faces of the children and the mother who worked so hard to provide for her children, knowing that they’ll move in this weekend, there’s nothing better,” she added.
Sowell put in volunteer hours — called 'sweat equity' and a requirement of the program -– to construct her home, as well as those of other recipients.
“It’s been a long process, a lot of sweat, a lot of early Saturday mornings, getting up and coming out here and making it work,” she said. “It definitely paid off.”
Habitat acts as the builder, mortgage lender and housing counseling agency in its affordable homeownership program. Families must fall within 30-80% of the area median income to qualify. Applicants must also be able to pay a mortgage and be willing to partner with Habitat through 300 hours of sweat equity, or volunteer work.
Habitat’s Director of Communications Cece Schepp said Sowell dedicated 320 hours, which she began in September. She completed her hours while working and managing her household.
“So 52 of the 66 homebuyers that we have partnered with this year have been female-led homebuyers, which essentially means that they are single mothers,” Schepp said. “It’s really reflective of the need in our area, especially among female-led households.”
"So 52 of the 66 homebuyers that we have partnered with this year have been female-led homebuyers, which essentially means that they are single mothers. It’s really reflective of the need in our area, especially among female-led households."
Habitat’s Director of Communications Cece Schepp
Homeowners also participate in an additional 22 hours of home maintenance and financial education classes.
“A lot of people think that we give homes away for free, and we don’t,” she said. “This is a family that worked really, really hard for this and will continue to work hard to maintain it.”
Andrea Melendez/WGCU
This is Christie Sowell’s new home. June 27, 2023, Habitat for Humanity held a home dedication ceremony at its Onward Street neighborhood marking the first completed home of its new affordable housing development in Fort Myers. The family was welcomed home and celebrated their journey to homeownership. Situated between McCormick St. and Prospect Ave., the 6-acre Habitat HOA community will feature 29 single-family homes once completed.
Homeowners pay a discounted $2,000 in closing costs. There is no down-payment, and the mortgage is set at 30% or less of the owner’s income. The buyer also pays only the principal on the loan, which helps keep monthly payments down.
Because she went over the required 300 volunteer hours, Sowell donated her extra time to other homeowners who needed the hours. And even though she closes on Friday, she plans to continue to volunteer for Habitat.
“I’m excited to pay it forward to others in need,” Sowell said. “May we continue to work together to build a world where everyone has a decent place to call home.”
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