The 2019-2020 school year was not what most families expected, and we applaud every family that has been able to make the past couple of months of unplanned home-schooling work. We are especially proud of three high school graduates, Mickaela Joyce, Kinley Malone, and Hezekiah Tyler, who are all preparing for college in 2020.
These three graduates are part of the Habitat family, and through their commitment to education, have personified the Habitat mantra of digging deeply and boldly continuing towards their goals. We are so proud of them all! Mickaela is a graduate of Muncie Central High School, and will be attending Indiana University and studying Journalism. Hezekiah is a graduate of Burris Labatory School, and plans to attend Ball State this fall *chirp chirp! *  Kinley is the second graduate of the Malone family! She will be attending Ivy Tech focusing on General Studies. You may remember her sister, Keeley from the 2015 DBB (click to learn Keeley’s story)
As our supporters, partner families, & volunteers know firsthand, the benefits of affordable housing extend far beyond shelter. Partnering with Habitat for Humanity allows parents to provide one home for the rest of their children’s lives. This means one bus stop, one kitchen table to do homework at, one porch to play on, and one neighborhood to call their own. The stability and security built through each of these instills confidence, and a safety net for children to try different things, and become their best selves. Children of homeowners are 116 percent more likely to graduate from college compared with children in families who do not own their homes. Among many other factors, stable, affordable housing enables consistency in a child’s life by reducing the frequency of unplanned moves that lead children to change schools along with allowing parents, who may have worked two jobs in the past to make rent, to spend more quality time with their kids.
This graduation season, we ask that you reflect upon your family, friends and neighbors who have graduates, as well as kids still in school, and take the opportunity to honor the hard work, sacrifice and ability to dig deep.  This month, Northwest Bank is offering a $5,000 match challenge, to ensure that families in the Muncie area have the opportunity to live in safe, affordable housing through Muncie Habitat’s programs.
“Northwest Bank is a firm supporter of  Muncie Habitat for Humanity. Affordable housing, and the stability it provides to families, and especially students, is a cause close to our hearts. We encourage the Dream Builders to join us in celebrating education by making your matching gift In Honor of a special graduate in your life, or In Honor of Kinley, Hezekiah and Mickaela,”  explained Dave Heeter, CEO Indiana Region, Northwest Bank.
For each gift our office will send the honorees a special note of encouragement and notification.