On February 9, 2020, many gathered to celebrate the dedication of the beautiful new home of Laye Camara and Fatoumata Sylla, and their children, Mariepierre (5) and Youssouff (4). Raise the Roof was honored to partner with this family to help them build their own home. We are full of respect and will always wish them well.

39 Elliott Street is Raise the Roof’s sixteenth sponsored Habitat build. Dedication ceremony attendees honored the family’s accomplishment. Left to right in front: The Honorable Ron C. Hurt, Alder- Ward 3, New Haven, Laye Camara, Fatoumata Sylla, Donna Eccard Gregory, Mary Hambor, Michael Piscitelli, Interim Economic Development Administrator Left to right in back: Bill Casey, Executive Director Habitat for Humanity of Greater New Haven, Margit Dahl, Virginia Vancil, Sarah Mervine

Above Left: The Rev. Dr. Heather Arcovitch, North Madison Congregational Church, shared an opening prayer and presented the Qu’ran to the Camara-Sylla family.

Above Right: Frank Walsh of North Madison Congregational Church (right) served as the family partner for the Camara-Sylla family during their journey to build and own this home.

Above left: Raise the Roof board members, Jake Miles Joseph and Donna Eccard Gregory, celebrated the accomplishment of the Camara-Sylla family.

Above right: Eileen Landry represented the Shoreline Quilt Guild with beautiful handmade gifts for the family.

The photos below share the story of how the Raise the Roof community helped the family of Laye Camara and Fatoumata Sylla build a house and arrive at the day for celebrating the dedication of their home.

Raise the Roof was excited to celebrate a groundbreaking at 39 Elliott Street in New Haven on July 20 (2019). A groundbreaking marks a hands-on beginning for a family. For Raise the Roof, a groundbreaking honors a milestone in the work of our mission and is a perfect waypoint for pausing to express gratitude. Arriving at this moment means that hundreds of individuals, groups, and businesses found beautiful and sometimes unique ways to contribute to raising the funds that make building possible. Many have shared so that we all may experience the gift of standing with a family to build.

Thank you to the Knight’s of Columbus for their September 25 day of building (above.)
Below, an amazing group that is perfectly named Intrepids left their mark on 39 Elliott Street calking, insulating, putting up rafters, and tackling the cleaning of the backyard on September 26.

The Daniel Hand Habitat Club (below) put in multiple days and hours of building, making their way to the site as a team with their shirts aptly proclaiming “Nailed it!”

Thank you, thank you to the build volunteers from First Congregational Church Guilford (photos below) for their October 12 workday hanging siding alongside new friends and future homeowners.

On October 18, an amazing group from Defibtech (photos below) helped to build at 39 Elliott Street, the future home of the family of Laye Camara and Fatoumata Sylla. Sunshine, team work, and thumbs-up effort got the work of the day done well.

October 19 brought the gift of an energetic group of Valley Regional High School students (below) to build at Elliott Street.

We are full of gratitude for the team from Temple Beth Tikvah (below) who worked to build on October 28.

Thank you to the hardworking team below from Shift Cycle who helped to build on October 29.

St. Andrew’s Church of Madison sent the enthusiastic volunteers working below to build on November 9. We love their help raising roofs!

Thank you to volunteers from North Madison Congregational Church (pictured below) who worked alongside future homeowner Laye Camara.

Above, future homeowner Laye Camara is pictured with Frank Walsh of North Madison Congregational Church and Guilford Rotary. Frank served as Family Partner to Laye and his family.