Building a Beloved Community

Each of the 27 Habitat for Humanity home builds sponsored by Cox Enterprises over the years are special, but the last two homes have taken on added significance.

The two new house dedications on March 17 had a special tie-in with this year’s 50^th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s tragic death. King spoke of having a Beloved Community that provided access, equality and opportunity for all. Habitat is honoring King’s legacy by dedicating eight house builds this year as Dr. King’s Beloved Community, in partnership with The King Center's MLK 50 Forward initiative.

The two houses sponsored by Cox Enterprises and the neighboring three homes sponsored by consumer expert Clark Howard were first to become part of this tribute in Atlanta. Judy Train, vice president of Shared Services for Cox Communications, is on the board for Atlanta Habitat and provided remarks at the dedication ceremony.

“When we think about the Cox ‘WHY,’ as articulated by our President and CEO Alex Taylor, it’s to ‘Empower People Today to Build a Better Future for the Next Generation,’” said Judy. “I can think of no more concrete embodiment of that ‘WHY’ than these two houses. With the help of dozens upon dozens of Cox volunteers, we installed insulation, we put up sheetrock, we painted the walls, we put shingles on the roofs and grass on the lawns, and worked alongside these two homeowners to build houses that their children can grow up in. That, to me, is what Cox is all about.”

Transforming Lives and Neighborhoods

All five homes were built next to each other on Humphries Drive in South Atlanta, which is not only helping the recipient families, but contributing to the revitalization of the surrounding neighborhood.

One of the Cox homes went to a single mother of two boys who works as an ophthalmic assistant and is attending Georgia State University to earn a bachelor’s degree in dental hygiene. The other house will be occupied by a single mother of three elementary-school-aged children who works as a pharmacy technician. 

What is Habitat for Humanity?

Habitat for Humanity transforms communities by acting as a catalyst for neighborhood revitalization through education, innovative development, partnerships and long-term relationships with families.

It takes a lot of hard work to become a Habitat homeowner. Families must qualify to purchase a no interest, energy-efficient Atlanta Habitat home by proving steady income and showing good credit. Homebuyers also are required to contribute 250 hours of “sweat equity” and to successfully complete a one-year education program.

Cox has partnered with Atlanta Habitat to sponsor 27 homes since 1994.