After years of constant moving, Kathryn Gilmore is excited to have a forever home.
“I’m excited to just be able to settle down,” she said.
Gilmore is the recipient of one of Lawrence Habitat of Humanity’s homes in Eudora. When she first applied for a house, she said she never thought she would be accepted.
“I do remember that – when I got the final approval from the USDA,” she said. “My dad was working with me at the time, and I came in, and I just started bawling. I said, ‘I got the house.’”
Gilmore’s house is the second of four Habitat homes to be finished in Eudora. Gilmore’s new home is unique because it’s a zero net energy house, meaning it produces the same amount of energy it uses within a year.
Habitat collaborated with Atmos Energy to build the three-bedroom, two-bath house. It uses natural gas appliances, solar panels and other features to meet green building standards, according to a press release. The project is part of a program across the eight states Atmos serves to create energy efficient homes with Habitat.
Nearly 50 people gathered to see the unveiling of the new house on Thursday. Gilmore said it’s awesome to see so many people come to support her and her son, Liam.
“I love that I have had tons of family and friends come out here and then all of the volunteers that have helped along this process, they also came out on their evening to help kind of celebrate us getting this,” she said.
Along with celebrating Gilmore, the event was also a celebration of the volunteers who put the home together.
Erika Zimmerman, Habitat’s executive director, said Gilmore’s house is a representation of every volunteer’s hard work and dedication.
“Volunteers are at the heart of what Habitat does,” Zimmerman said.
Gilmore said there were volunteers coming out to the house multiple times a week to help out. She said without the volunteers, she wouldn’t have her new home.
Thea Lease, Gilmore’s family partner from Habitat, said working with Gilmore on this project has been amazing.
“She is one of the most dedicated, hard working people I’ve met,” Lease said. “She took every obstacle in stride and has been absolutely awesome to work with.”
With the help of her father, Gilmore used her experience as a tile setter to create the tiling found in the kitchen, laundry room and both bathrooms.
After lots of hours spent working, planning and preparing, Gilmore said she is most excited to start making her house a home.
“I’m excited to paint Liam’s room and put pictures on the walls,” she said. “And not have to worry about the possibility of boxing things up.”
Reach reporter Ryn Drummond at [email protected]
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