02 Mar 2021
March 2, 2021

Meet the Staff: Ryan Payonk

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Muncie Habitat for Humanity has a team of employees who strive to serve their community boldly with their unique skills and diverse backgrounds. Ryan joined the Muncie Habitat team three years ago, initially working as an intern and GA from Ball State’s Urban Planning program, before eventually moving fully into his current role.  “As the Homeowner Services Manager, I see our families through the process of our programs,” Ryan explained. “In the early stages, I help families to understand what programs we offer and through the application process.  Then, I work with our partner families through program requirements, such as sweat equity hours and homeownership courses (depending on the program).  Finally, I am a contact point for homeowners (our previous families) as they work on paying off their mortgage.”

As the Homeowner Services Manager, Ryan has the privilege of guiding our partner family’s though the homeownership process. “My favorite part of the job is closing on our partner families’ houses, Ryan said. “Once our partner family finishes signing the closing paperwork  we finally get to hand off the keys to their new home! It is a really powerful moment for all of us.”

For Ryan, Habitat’s mission of giving a hand up and providing resources for our partner families and neighborhoods is the real success. “I really appreciate that Muncie Habitat is doing work not just in housing, but also in community building,” Ryan explained. “We want to help families buy houses, but we also want to help families turn those houses into homes.  Ultimately, making a house a home is up to a family, but we believe we can help families to feel more at home by offering opportunities to get to know their new neighbors and neighborhood.”