Ground-breaking event held for Habitats 2011 Collegiate Challenge

March 6, 2011

By Gwen Sisson
sdnlife@bellsouth.net

Lywanda Shed said she was so excited, she could hardly wait for the new house to be built.
“But it will be worth the wait,” Shed said. “We have just been so blessed.”
The official ground-breaking ceremony for Lywanda Shed’s new house was held Sunday afternoon.
The Sheds have been selected as the Spring 2011 Habitat Family, whose home will also be part of the 2011 Collegiate Challenge. During Spring Break, four groups of college workers will volunteer their time and energy to begin building the house.
Members of the Starkville Academy Anchor Club are also scheduled to work during the build-time.
The latest Habitat home has an estimated completion time of late June, early July.
Freddie Rasberry, executive director of the Starkville Area Habitat for Humanity, said the Shed family was selected from about 25 candidate families.
The new Habitat Family includes Bobby and Lywanda Shed, their sons DeAndre and Termaine, and their granddaughter, Khalila, 4. The Sheds will also work 300 hours and receive a 20-year interest-free loan to pay off the home as part of the agreement with Habitat.
“We are so excited, we don’t know what to do,” said Bobby Shed.
As part of the final paperwork process, Bobby asked Lywanda “Are you happy?”
Lywanda said, “Yes, this is all I wanted, a home for our family.”