Fox Valley Habitat for Humanity Constructs Home for Couple That Spent Seven Years Apart

By Cass Jacoby. 

GAF partners with Habitat for Humanity to provide roof materials and labor to build the first habitat home in Batavia, Illinois.  

Janice and George Owino both grew up in Kenya. Janice moved to the United States and studied chemistry. After four years apart, she flew back to Kenya to marry George. Since then, the couple has been waiting for the day George is approved to move to the United States and Janice has been working to get her husband and herself a new home.  

At the beginning of the year, Janice signed her partnership agreement with Fox Valley Habitat for Humanity. Janice told Fox Valley Habitat for Humanity “excited” was the only word she could use to describe how she felt. 

Now the house at 1600 W. Wilson St. in Batavia is under construction and scheduled for completion in November.  

GAF and C&N Construction Inc. are to provide the roofing materials and professional installation. "Fox Valley Habitat for Humanity is very excited to be in partnership with GAF and C&N Construction," Habitat funds coordinator Barbara Zegiel told Daily Herald. 

This partnership with Habitat for Humanity matches roofing donations from GAF with installation services donated by GAF Master Elite and certified contractors across the U.S. 

"We are thrilled not only to be able to offer this contribution to an organization creating affordable housing, but also to be able to reinforce the efforts of our Master Elite and Certified contractors as they strive to support the communities in which they live and work,” says Jim Slauson, GAF vice president of certified program and services. 

C&N is one of more than 4,000 GAF Master Elite and certified contractors who are eligible to participate in the partnership. "We are so pleased to have this chance to work in partnership with Habitat to give back to our neighbors in Batavia,” says C&N owner Curtis Eshghy. “We have a great sense of pride in knowing our work is part of a solution that creates affordable housing with families in our area." 

“Together we will continue to build affordable housing for local families in need,” says Barabara about the partnership. “Thank you for giving back to our community." 

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About Cass  

Cass works as a reporter/writer for RoofersCoffeeShop and AskARoofer. When she isn’t writing about roofs, she is writing about movies for her master's degree and dancing with her plants. 

Photo Credit: Daily Advent