Habitat for Humanity Greater Boston Dedicates Homes in Dorchester

(Boston, Mass.) - Advanced Property Management (APM), a Boston-based real estate management firm, helped celebrate the dedication of two new Habitat for Humanity homes at 15-17 Balina Place in Dorchester. APM staff were among the volunteers who helped Habitat for Humanity Greater Boston, Inc. build this home and were on hand as the home was dedicated at a ceremony led by Habitat for Humanity of Greater Boston President & CEO Lark Jurev Palermo and attended by about 100 people.

Homeownership and having ample space in Dorchester for their children to grow and play is a dream come true for two families. The new homeowners are Ben and Liz Cressy, along with their children Abraham and Elsie, and Meselework Teferra and Ruth Desta and their children, Debora and Surafoal. This home brings a new life for these parents and their children – a safe home with plenty of outdoor space for the kids to play. The Tefferra-Desta family is originally Ethiopia while the Cressy’s moved to Dorchester from Lynn. For the Cressy’s, the new home allows them to live closer to their church in Codman Square, and their son and daughter will no longer have to share a bathroom.

The dedication ceremony featured a blessing of the homes and presentation of bibles by Mako Nagasaw, Elder at the Neighborhood Church of Dorchester, and Anteneh Metiku of the Ethiopian Evangelical Church of Boston. Students from The Boston Latin School musical group “The Wolftones” provided entertainment, Habitat Family Services Coordinator Mary Gregory delivered a Litany of Dedication, and a closing prayer was led by Valerie Copeland, Elder at Neighborhood Church of Boston.

The Habitat for Humanity of Greater Boston is also building another new home at Balina Place, next door to the Cressy-Tefferra home, that will also greatly improve this Dorchester neighborhood.

Habitat for Humanity Greater Boston, Inc. is a Massachusetts charitable nonprofit organization dedicated to building simple low-cost homes by forming partnerships with low-income families in need of decent and affordable housing. The organization believes homeownership is a vital step to help families break the cycle of poverty and contribute to pride in families and communities.