SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. — Despite the gloomy weather Friday, spirits were high as the local organizations, public officials, and community members came together to celebrate the Meyre family moving into their new home.
Brenda Meyre shared that she felt overwhelmed, but was excited to move into her new home with her kids, Rebecca and Keith Cherney — calling it “perfect” from its location to layout. “I do have a truck reserved and we’re just going to start tonight, I want to start tonight,” Meyre said as she stood on her front porch, taking in her new street. “My adrenaline is at a thousand, it has been all week.
” The ability to make this dream of home ownership a reality for this local family was in large part possible because of Habitat for Humanity of Northern Saratoga, Warren, and Washington Counties, who built the home and dedicated it to the Meyre family at a ribbon-cutting ceremony Friday. “It’s been a long time in the making for them,” Habitat for Humanity of Northern Saratoga, Warren, and Washington Counties’s Executive Director George Earle said. “It’s exciting, for us and them, to finally have it done and they are ready to go.
We will be closing this afternoon and it is officially theirs.” The goal of Habitat for Humanity is to bring people and organizations together to build homes, communities and hope with a vision to build a world where everyone has a decent place to live. According to their FY2023 Annual Report, in 2023 Habitat for Humanity helped more than 13.
4 million people build or improve the place they call home and more than 9.5 million people gained the potential to improve their housing conditions through the not-for-profit’s training and advocacy. Along with all the hard work and dedication Habitat for Humanity put in to build this house, it also would not have been possible without the charitable donations that came from the Leap of Kindness Day campaign at Curtis Lumber.
Leap of Kindness Day was an initiative started by Todd Shimkus, president of the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce, which aims to get others to use their extra day during a Leap Year to do something kind for someone else. Inspired by this, Curtis Lumber has transformed the original day into a month-long affair in which people who shop in their stores can donate a two-by-four which will then be donated to Habitat for Humanity and be utilized in the houses they build. “We’ve been pretty lucky as Curtis Lumber being able to be a part of many of these in many different capacities, whether it is Make-A-Wish or Habitat for Humanity but to see the finished product is always goosebumps,” Director of Sales, Dan Nelson said.
“Curtis Lumber being a local family-owned with communities all over the place, we’ve got 23 locations, and it is one of our core values as a company to make sure we are involved in our communities and helping out where we can.” Shimkus shared that when Leap of Kindness Day started in 2016, it was the hope that the day would be about more than just buying coffee for the next person in line but would be impactful on a larger scale. “I can’t think of anything more impactful than a family getting their first home in this beautiful community,” Shimkus said.
“Curtis Lumber really stepped up, they’ve done five houses using lumber from Leap of Kindness Day over the last five years and they do Leap of Kindness February as a result of their first time doing it. It’s just incredible the support – and obviously Habitat (for Humanity) has support in the community. They collaborate with so many local businesses to get this done – but that’s what this community is all about.
” “Leap of Kindness Day grew from about 50 communities in 2016 to over 250 in 2024 and the planning is already underway for 2028.” The project also couldn’t have happened if not for the kindness of the Meyres’ new next-door neighbor, Willard Chamberlin, who donated part of his property to Habitat for Humanity for the three-bedroom, two-bathroom home to be built. The Meyre family home marked the 30th completed house by the Habitat for Humanity of Northern Saratoga, Warren & Washington Counties and there is no slowing down any time soon.
Earle shared that Habitat for Humanity has land in Hudson Falls, Glens Falls and Queensbury and that there are progressively bigger plans for each of those pieces of property. For more information about Habitat for Humanity of Northern Saratoga, Warren & Washington Counties, visit their website https://glensfallshabitat.org or their Instagram and Facebook pages.
The ribbon cutting and dedication took place outside the Meyres' new home on Friday. (Emma Ralls - Medianews Group) The Meyre family closed on their new home on Friday, with the family excited to move into their new space. (Emma Ralls - Medainews Group) "As we look to the future, we’re inspired and energized to create even more homes for families working toward home ownership, continuing our mission of turning dreams into reality and building stronger, more connected communities.
Together, we’re not just building houses—we’re building futures," The Habitat for Humanity of Northern Saratoga, Warren & Washington Counties shared in a Facebook post. (Emma Ralls - Medianews Group) It was through the hard work and dedication of many community focused individuals and organizations that the project was able to come to fruition. This included Todd Shimkus and the Saratoga Chamber of Commerce, Vice President Doug Ford Dan Nelson, Director of Sales Dan Nelson and Curtis Lumber, and next door neighbor Willard Chamberlin.
(Photo provided by Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce) The ribbon cutting and dedication took place outside the Meyres' new home on Friday. (Emma Ralls - Medianews Group).
