Habitat for Humanity of Tompkins and Cortland Counties hosted a home dedication celebration for a newly restored historic home at 417 South Aurora Street on Wednesday, marking the culmination of three years of work by dedicated Habitat staff, hundreds of volunteers, donors and homeowner Carrie Sawyer alongside her two sons.
Habitat for Humanity International, the parent organization of Habitat for Humanity of Tompkins and Cortland Counties, is a nonprofit housing organization working in over 70 countries and in nearly 1,400 communities across the U.S. Locally, Habitat builds, repairs and finances homes, partnering with families through its affordable Homeownership Program. In Tompkins County, Habitat is currently working with seven homebuyers and has five active build sites in the Ithaca area.
“It is hard to find a safe, quality, affordable home in our community right now,” said Shannon McCarrick, executive director of the local chapter of Habitat. “So it is a big deal every time we can add even one to our community.”
New York State deemed the 417 South Aurora Street property a historic site, making it the first historic restoration project Habitat has worked on in Ithaca. The 1800s home was renovated using original doors, trim, windows and flooring reclaimed from a local deconstruction project. The project reflects Habitat's commitment to creating homes that are both upgraded and sustainable, combining historic preservation with modernization for structure and energy efficiency.
“Every layer we peeled back revealed more work to do,” McCarrick said. “Historic restoration is tedious, but it's a learning experience that connects volunteers to the community's architectural heritage.”
The project was financially supported by the Community Housing Development Fund — a collaborative effort between Tompkins County, the City of Ithaca and Cornell University — as well as funding from the New York State Affordable Housing Corporation and the Ithaca Urban Renewal Agency with funding from the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Homebuyers participate in homeownership education, hands-on volunteer hours — called “sweat equity” — and receive an affordable mortgage, which costs less than 30 percent of household income.
“It’s not about checking a box,” McCarrick said. “It’s about building relationships, learning about the construction process and maintenance and really what it means to be a homeowner.”
Homeowner Carrie Sawyer, who completed over 900 hours of volunteer time, spoke at the Dedication Celebration, surrounded by a crowd of volunteers, neighbors, Habitat staff and friends.
“On my first day, volunteers at Habitat were willing to teach me, take me under their wing and show me any tips and tricks,” she said. “They really have become my second family.”
The restoration was powered by longtime Habitat builder Simon Gould, who served as the volunteer construction supervisor.
Throughout the project, Gould has overseen the building process, completed a majority of the skilled work and worked with and trained the volunteers in construction. Gould began his work with Habitat 25 years ago in Vancouver, British Columbia, as a weekend hobby and has since traveled across the globe, contributing to Habitat projects in 10 different countries.
Gould takes a hands-on approach with volunteers, guiding them through tasks and helping them build the skills they need.
“If they don’t have the right skills,” he said, “I’ll show them how to do a job — and then they’ll take it from there.”
Gould’s reflections on working alongside Sawyer echoed the prevailing sentiment of the afternoon — glowing admiration for her consistently positive demeanor and strong work ethic.
“Whenever I needed extra help, Carrie [Sawyer] would always come out and help me — she wanted to learn.”
Sawyer said the experience taught her patience, resilience, and a range of new skills. Despite the project’s challenges, she learned to “just love the process.”
McCarrick underscored the long-term impact of these projects, emphasizing that the effort put in by volunteers and dollars contributed by donors help support homeowners for generations. The restored home at 417 South Aurora is the result of three years of collaboration between Habitat staff, volunteers, donors, and the Sawyer family — a project rooted in community effort and long-term investment in affordable housing. For Sawyer, it also marks the beginning of a new chapter.
“It really just means a place where my children can always come, always,” Sawyer said. “Maybe when I get older, this will be the gathering place for my kids.”
Cereese Qusba is a reporter at The Ithaca Voice and a news editor at The Cornell Daily Sun working on The Sun’s summer fellowship. This article was originally published in The Ithaca Voice.
Cereese Qusba is a member of the Class of 2027 in the College of Arts and Sciences. She is a news editor for the 143rd Editorial Board. She can be reached at cqusba@cornellsun.com.
