From Golf Tees to House Keys

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY

story and photos by MICHELE BARKER

Because of you – the donors, sponsors, players, businesses who contributed auction items and those who have bid – Habitat for Humanity of the Lowcountry has its twelfth and thirteenth golf tournament funded homes under construction in Ridgeland in Jasper County.

What would Larry Sanders say to that? “Don’t stop now!” Not one to rest on his laurels as organizer of the tournament, he’s already working on house number fourteen!

Habitat for Humanity of the Lowcountry’s annual golf tournament takes place on September 29th, and for more than twenty of its twenty-eight years, it has been driven by Larry, one of the busiest retirees you’re ever likely to meet.

Originally from Tennessee, he and his wife, Eddie, relocated from Philadelphia to the Lowcountry following his retirement from a highly successful, 30-year career in the pharmaceutical industry.
Apparently, he wasn’t really quite ready to retire in the traditional sense because he soon went to work as the communications and development director for Habitat. There he met Ed Brown and Rich Sebastian, Habitat volunteers and board members who had started the golf tournament as a fundraising event. As time progressed, Larry gradually took over the orchestration of the tournament.

Larry said that while at Habitat he borrowed some books from the organization’s executive director written by Habitat for Humanity founder Millard Fuller. The message imparted by Fuller resonated deeply with the messages he had received from his primary influences: church, his college fraternity, and his recent joining of the Rotary Club of Hilton Head, all three emphasizing service, leadership, and generosity.

Larry joined Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. while at Knoxville College and continues to be heavily involved with its local alumni chapter. With the combination of Rotary’s motto of “service above self,” his fraternity’s training in leadership and mentoring, and his church involvement, his desire to serve his community kicked into high gear, he said. “I had been a corporate guy, I was after the money,” and all of this caused his paradigm to flip.

He’s still “after the money” in a sense, but it’s fundraising for Habitat homes. “Being the salesman that I am,” Larry said laughing, “I ain’t never been afraid to ask nobody for nothin’!”

And why did he choose Habitat of all the nonprofits in the area? “Seeing the difference it makes. Habitat is life-changing,” he said.

“Look at Habitat as you’re helping to improve your own community,” he stressed. “Sponsorships (and donations) are the building blocks to another home and an easy way to make a real difference in the lives of others,” he added. Someone might not be able to sponsor an entire house, but they can donate enough to buy a window for a house or volunteer to help build a house. “Every dollar given, every hour volunteered, is a contribution to the mission,” said Larry.

“People ask me all the time if we give these homes to people, and I emphatically say no,” Larry explained. “These people earn these homes.” The Habitat model “offers families a hand up, not a handout, with its requirements of the investment of sweat equity and mandatory attendance at educational classes.” Their down payment is smaller and their mortgage is at no interest, but they do pay a mortgage like any other homebuyer.
“An individual home buyer is required to put in 300 hours of volunteer work between their home and other Habitat homes under construction, 400 hours for a couple,” said Jeb Bush, the organization’s development director, adding that proceeds from the tournaments and accompanying online auctions go toward building Habitat homes for local families in Habitat for Humanity of the Lowcountry’s service area of Beaufort and Jasper counties.

These latest two “golf homes” are being built in Ridgeland’s Bees Creek Pines subdivision, a quiet neighborhood a few miles from the town’s center. To the right of the development’s entrance are three homes under construction by Habitat’s homebuyers, volunteers, and staff. In addition to the two tournament funded homes is one sponsored by Publix Super Markets Charities. The middle home is the “Larry Sanders House,” named as a tribute to Larry’s longtime, unwavering support of Habitat. Larry had a chance recently to see the house which is still under construction and meet its new owner-to-be, Nicole. The two hit it off immediately like old friends!

Nicole and her son currently live with her father, but they are eagerly awaiting the completion of a home she’s dreamed about for at least ten years. She stated that they have moved around a lot and at times have lived in some rough places. “Stability for me and my child” in her “forever home” was her reason for applying to be a Habitat homeowner. Her mother and godmother had shopped at the Habitat ReStores, but that was all she knew about the organization. “A friend mentioned the homebuyer program to me, and I went to the website to look into it,” Nicole said. Fortunately, this was during an open enrollment period, so she filled out an application and was chosen to participate in the program. “Perfect timing!” she said.

Nicole said that she is very grateful for the work Larry has invested in Habitat and was delighted to meet him, adding, “He’s a cool guy!” She wants others to know what the organization and its mission mean to her. Donors and volunteers won’t regret contributing to Habitat. “We homeowners are extremely grateful,” she explained. “To help homeowners’ dreams come true when they thought that was something unattainable, that is life-changing” for all involved.

While this year’s tournament is sold out, there are still opportunities for hole sponsorships (until September 12th) and to bid in the online auction (open until 7:00 p.m. September 29th). To find out about hole sponsorships and to access the auction, go to Habitat’s website, www.lowcountryhabitat.org, where you’ll find links to both.