Murfreesboro, TN – It was a perfect weather day for Rutherford County Area Habitat for Humanity’s annual Cookin’ To Build event held on the historic Murfreesboro Town Square this past Saturday. Over 1000 attendees, including Food Tent cooks and volunteers, and event sponsors raised over $81,000 for RCHFH’s mission to build affordable housing in Rutherford County for low-moderate income residents.
Twenty-Six Food Tent cooks from organizations, local businesses, churches, schools and restaurants prepared and served “all you can eat” soup, chili, and stew to the attendees, who also got a pottery soup bowl, supplied by Color Me Mine, and a tote bag to take home plus desserts and drinks. Photos of the event are on the Habitat website: www.rchfh.org.
Cooking Teams also vied for the Golden Bowl Award as attendees vote for their favorites. Previous winners include Site Hawk, Chef Dani Amendola, The Rutherford County Sheriff’s Department, Mid South Bank, Oakland Middle School and Hammer Down for Habitat. This year’s winners are: third place to Phi Sigma Pi, second place to Heritage South FCU and first place to Hammer Down for Habitat for their popular Zuppa Toscana soup.
Cookin’ To Build is held every year in early November and attendees can also go to Color Me Mine at The Avenue and paint their own pottery bowl. This year’s Diamond Sponsors included Atmos Energy, Nissan USA, Old Nashville Bank and Color Me Mine. Golden Bowl Sponsors were Redstone FCU, Ascension Health and Volunteer State Bank. Additional funding was from Republic Bank, the Knights of Columbus, Dana Womack / State Farm, Redeemer Classical Academy, Pinnacle Financial Partners, Miller Loughry-Beach, Premiere Fence, the Boro Pulse, and 615 Signs, among others.
RCHFH is currently building the last of Phase 2 houses at Legacy Pointe in Murfreesboro. This community development will eventually include homes for 76 low-moderate income families. Habitat does not give houses away but instead helps qualified residents who earn 40-80% of the area median income (AMI) buy a home through a low-interest mortgage, so they can build wealth and provide a better future for their family. Future Homeowners attend 50 hours of Financial Literacy and Homeowner Education and complete 350 hours of partnership equity. Habitat Homeowners are then equipped to sustain their home, manage their money and many move out of a cycle of family poverty. RCHFH currently has 20 Future Homeowners in the program who will be eligible to buy a Habitat house in 2024-25.
About Rutherford County Area Habitat for Humanity (RCHFH) - Rutherford County Area Habitat for Humanity, a non-profit, non-denominational Christian housing ministry, seeks to bring people together to build homes, communities, and hope. This is done through building quality, energy-efficient, affordable houses while partnering alongside working families. Homes are built by RCHFH construction staff, Future Homeowners, and community volunteers. After a home is completed, it is sold to the family at no profit with an affordable monthly mortgage.
