Raise the Roof’s fourteenth sponsored Habitat build was an exciting build project at 387 Lenox Street in New Haven Connecticut, rebuilding, restoring, and preserving an historic structure that is now the home of the family of Edwin and Ada Sanchez. The structure at 387 Lenox Street was built in the 1830s as the home of Merritt Brown, an oyster fishing captain. The home is part of an important historic district overlooking the Quinnipiac River and holds a spot on the National Register of Historic Places. The property had long stood vacant and blighted, but with the effort and care of many Raise the Roof and Habitat volunteers, who worked alongside the family and friends of Edwin and Ada, the house was restored and transformed to hold a family and its place in the neighborhood. Many donated and danced to raise the funds to sponsor this build. (Raise the Roof’s signature fundraising event is our annual Gala of Stars: Dancing for the Cause.)

Read about the project in this article by Sarah Page Kyrcz for the Shore Line Times and New Haven Register: here.

History lovers, read here for the story of this special property.

The Daily Nutmeg shared the journey of the Sanchez family and the “home work” they are doing to rebuild and own the house at 387 Lenox. Read here.

Read a wonderful article by Sarah Page Kyrcz for the “Shoreline Times” here.

Christ Church, Guilford CT kicked off our build days at 387 Lenox Street. Thank you to this wonderful group of volunteers (above) who spent the day working with Edwin Sanchez, future homeowner of 387 Lenox Street, and Antoine Claiborne, Construction Manager, Habitat for Humanity of Greater New Haven.

Thank you to the hardworking team of build volunteers from Temple Beth Tikvah who rolled up their sleeves for work at 387 Lenox Street on June 3. Raise the Roof loves building with TBT! The congregation has been an active, sustaining sponsor and partner in all aspects of our Habitat mission since the beginning. Check out the action shots below.

Thank you to the volunteers from First Congregational Church of Guilford, CT (photos below) who joined future homeowners Edwin and Ada Sanchez for a June 9 day of building at 387 Lenox Street. Thank you to Nancy Leckerling for the build day photos that capture the group, the work, and the progress.

Raise the Roof board members pitched in for an August 25 build day. And of course, at the site of an oyster fishing captain’s home, what would be unearthed but oyster shells!

On October 3, Raise the Roof welcomed wonderful new friends to our community of build volunteers. Nine smiling Defibtech colleagues gave a day to build at 387 Lenox Street. Check out the pics below.

The hiking group Intrepids (photos below) built together on October 10. They took to the work of building in the true spirit of their name.

Temple Beth Tikvah joined us for another day of building on October 21. And they brought friends from Congregation Beth Shalom Rodfe Zedek to help.

The Daniel Hand Habitat Club helped Edwin build on November 10. As the shirts say…they “nailed it”.

On December 8, a SHiFT Cycling team—an AMAZING force of goodness and energy—joined future homeowner Edwin Sanchez to work toward completing the building at 387 Lenox Street. When they say #SHiFT4Good, it is a PROMISE. Check out the shirts they made!

Thank you to this hard-working group from the Knights of Columbus Sacred Heart Council 5780, Madison, CT for taking December 12 to help finish the building at 387 Lenox Street. Raise the Roof is grateful to K of C Sacred Heart Council 5780 of St. Margaret Church in Madison for their sustaining support and “building” with us in all ways.