Susan Cook-Williams surprised one of the latest recipients of a River City Habitat for Humanity home by bringing her balloons at work.
Nicole Rapier - a single mother and server at Arris' Pizza, who is caring for her own mother and for a brother still in high school - was surprised by the event.
The local nonprofit held a traditional "blessing of the build" ceremony Tuesday for the family's new home on Ashley Street in Jefferson City.
The organization holds a blessing for each of the homes it builds, said Cook-Williams, River City Habitat for Humanity executive director.
"Today we are doing a kick-off for one of our latest builds," she said. "The walls are up, and it's under roof."
Typically, the receiving family must provide hundreds of hours of "sweat equity" in the homes. However, this home is being built by students from Nichols Career Center. Insurance prevents the students from building alongside the homeowner, so they are expected to complete it themselves.
They hope to finish it before the school year ends late this spring. It will be the 11th home students have built for the program.
And Rapier is conducting her sweat equity at other builds - helping other families build their own homes, Cook-Williams said.
Rapier's home is the 114th the nonprofit has built or remodeled in Jefferson City.
The organization is now accepting applications for its next round of homes (to be completed this year and into 2021). The nonprofit's board will elect four new families to enter the program.
A new homeowner information class will be at 12:30 p.m. Feb. 8 in the Habitat office at 1420 Creek Trail Drive. Applications may be found at rivercityhabitat.org/homeownership.
Applications are due by Feb. 14.