Jacob Werkheiser and his three young boys, Coltin, Lincoln and Jacob Jr., became Warren County Habitat for Humanity’s (Warren County Habitat) 25th Homeowner Family in 25 years. On Saturday, November 9th, 2024, they were officially handed the keys to their new home in Phillipsburg, one with enough rooms for everyone to live and sleep comfortably in.
Prior to moving into his new Habitat home, Jacob and his three sons lived with his parents in a small home they rented. The six family members slept in a two-bedroom home, with a third “bedroom” that was just bigger than a closet. They would utilize their living room as a bedroom. When they were accepted as a partner family in May of 2023, having their own bedrooms was a dream that was no longer out of reach.
As with all Habitat Homeowners, Jacob was required to perform over 250 hours of sweat equity: time spent volunteering on the build site or other various volunteer sites with Warren County Habitat. By the time his home was complete, he had performed over 280 sweat equity hours.
Warren County Habitat for Humanity was graciously joined by an integral community partner for this project: NORWESCAP. “This is what it’s all about – working together,” Mark Valli, CEO of NORWESCAP mused. “NORWESCAP, our investors, the Department of Community Affairs, the town, all coming together to make sure Jacob and his sons have an amazing experience and have a future they can be proud of. So, thank you Habitat for Humanity, thank you for all of you who support Habitat…. We’re grateful for this work, but nobody’s more grateful than the three little boys who are going to absolutely destroy this basement the second they move in.”
Thanks to NORWESCAP’s partnership and that of the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, PNC Bank, Provident Bank, and Valley Bank, the build was completed flawlessly. The home was Warren County Habitat’s third modular build as well, and it could not have happened as smoothly or as timely as it did without the support of Phoenix Modular.
The energy was high at the Werkheiser family’s Home Dedication, but no one was bursting with excitement quite like Coltin, Lincoln, and Jacob Jr. In the same vein as Mark Valli’s comment, Cara Vega, Family Support Chairwoman, shared, “The boys are very excited to have a bit more space, [and] the yard they’ve already been running around in.” Seeing them chase each other, dance humorously on their front porch, and run around their new yard painted a perfect picture of the joy and hope that homeownership brings.
CONTACT:
Brittany Krug
Public Relations Manager
Warren County Habitat for Humanity
908-835-1300 x11
[email protected]
