After a nationwide search, the first-ever Brown County Habitat for Humanity executive director ended up being only two doors away.
Erin Kirchhofer was announced as the nonprofit’s executive director at Habitat’s annual meeting earlier this month. Kirchhofer previously served as the district manager for the Brown County Soil and Water Conservation District, which has an office two doors down from Habitat’s office on Memorial Drive.
At the July 7 meeting, Kirchhofer said she decided to send her resume over the same day as the deadline for the job posting.
“I had a great job. This posting popped up. I just kept looking at it. I looked at it once and thought ‘That is a great opportunity for somebody. That is so cool.’ I looked at it again and thought ‘I could do that.’ I looked at it again and thought ‘I want to do that,’” she said.
Earlier this year, Habitat was one of 14 organizations in the nation to receive part of a $1.5 million grant from U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Habitat’s $100,000 grant was awarded under HUD’s Section 4 Capacity Building for Community Development and Affordable Housing Program. The grant will fund the full-time position over a two year period and requires a 3:1 match. The nonprofit now has until July 2024 to raise the $300,000 match.
This spring, Habitat board members participated in a retreat with a Habitat state representative. Hiring an executive director was then identified as the key “to go forward and really make an impact that we believe Brown County needs and deserves,” said Andrea Replogle, president of Brown County Habitat for Humanity.
Kirchhofer was one of several who applied for the job. She is a graduate of Indiana University Bloomington, has held several positions at IU, and has worked in Brown County for the prosecutor’s office and as community services director for Turning Point Domestic Violence Services. She has served on the Brown County Community Corrections Board of Directors and is a graduate of Leadership Brown County.
The fact Kirchhofer was a resident of Brown County and her two children attend Brown County Schools was “exciting” for the Habitat board, Replogle said during the annual meeting.
“That is what we wanted in our heart, somebody local,” she said.
When thinking about what was most exciting about her new position, Kirchhofer said she discovered the answer as she sat on a blanket at this year’s Brown County Lions Club Fourth of July fireworks show at the Brown County High School.
“I’m looking around, thinking ‘I want this to last forever,’” she told the crowd of Habitat volunteers and board members gathered under a large white top tent at the Brown County Inn. The Brown County Inn hosted the annual meeting and provided refreshments as a donation to the nonprofit.
“My husband is a Brown County resident, he grew up here and we’re raising our children here. I want to sit on a blanket with my children’s children and watch the fireworks.”
As a mother of a 7 and 16 year old, she said she wants to remain in the community, going to community events and eventually see her second grader graduate from the high school.
“I want other families to be here. I want my kids to have friends. I want my kids to have sports and activities. I want to have friends. I want to see our community grow,” she said.
“I think that is why ultimately on the last day of the posting I sent my resume over.”
Forever home
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and rising construction costs, Habitat made the decision not to build a home last year.
“We saved a lot of money not doing that and it would have been crazy with supply chains,” Replogle said at the annual meeting.
”I think it was a good choice and it shows the wisdom of this group to understand that sometimes saying ‘no’ is actually the best thing that you can do moving forward.”
And this year Habitat was able to say ‘yes’ to building a Partner Family home in Helmsburg.
This year’s Partner Family is Joshua and Christina Thaxton along with their daughters, LaReina, Kylie, Azucena, Samantha, Addison and their son Aiden.
Habitat partner families are chosen based on need and their ability to pay an affordable mortgage and put in 250 hours of “sweat equity.” The home is not free, but comes with an interest-free loan thanks to the many volunteers who give time and money to build the home. Families are encouraged to apply to be a Partner Family in the fall as the homeowner classes happen in the winter or early spring with the hope to have the build happen in the summer or fall.
“They are hard workers,” Replogle said of the Thaxtons.
“That’s exactly what Habitat is: a chance to give people a hand up, not a hand out, but a hand up. That’s all they need.”
Christina grew up in Indianapolis and moved to Brown County in 2012 where her father and grandmother had previously lived. Josh was born in Ohio then lived in Columbus, Indiana before moving to Brown County in 2015 after meeting Christina through his brother and Christina’s niece.
The two met in the county and were married in the Brown County Community Church in Helmsburg in 2018. The couple currently lives in Helmsburg, already having established roots in the community.
The Thaxtons are a blended family. Christina has five daughters from a previous marriage and Josh has three daughters from a previous marriage. Together they have a 3-year-old son and six of their children still live at home. They also have two grandchildren.
In 2018, the Thaxtons applied to be a Habitat Partner Family, but their income was not enough to qualify to be a Partner Family for a 2020 build. Josh started a different job and they applied again last year for a 2022 build. The family qualified based on need, ability to pay and willingness to partner with Habitat, according to Replogle.
“This is exactly how this system works. The beauty of this system is that they applied a few years ago, they realized there were certain criteria they were not meeting yet, so they worked at it,” she said.
The couple recently completed the required homeownership classes, which count towards their 250 hours of sweat equity. The family is grateful for the opportunity to build and move into their “forever home,” Replogle said.
Christina and Josh were recognized with a round of applause at the annual meeting.
Construction on the home is expected to start this fall, but the start date will not be finalized until Habitat knows if they receive a federal HOME grant. Habitat applied for $60 to $70,000 in HOME grant funding to help cover construction costs of this year’s Partner Family home.
“We have to be patient, but we will build,” Replogle said.
“Our hope is to put our partner family in their home before Thanksgiving. Others like Christmas, but I am praying for Thanksgiving.”
Looking ahead
As the costs of home locally — and throughout the country — continue to rise and companies struggle to keep employees who cannot afford to live locally, Habitat is also looking to partner with other local groups over the next few years to be a “leading advocate for tackling the issue of a lack of workforce housing.”
“We want to make a difference,” Replogle said.
Habitat works to build one home each year in Brown County, but their goal for the next three to five years is to build two houses per year.
The Thaxton home will be the second — and last — home built in Helmsburg on property owned by Habitat. The goal is to purchase land for two homes to be built next to each other.
“We believe that is the key. You are able to limit some of your costs if you have two houses right next door to each other and how quickly you can up your production,” Replogle said.
She recently attended an international Habitat conference where all Habitat organizations were asked to consider doubling what they are currently accomplishing “because the (affordable housing) need is so great across the nation, really across the world, but particularly in our nation at this time,” she added.
Having an executive director is also the nonprofit’s key to opening more doors to grant funding because the new employee can manage the required reporting. Pursuing more grant funding is another goal for Habitat this year.
This year Habitat was awarded the second place prize of $5,500 from the Fabulous 50 group. Part of the money will also be used to cover extra costs of building the Thaxton family home this year. Another portion of the money will be used in their Brush with Kindness program, which assists low-income individuals and families by providing small structural repairs and access ramps for their homes.
Another goal for the next year is to pursue $3,000 Ramp-Up Indiana grants through Brush with Kindness, which can be used to make homes accessible so the elderly can stay in their homes longer.
“That Brush with Kindness program is something we’re very proud of and to be honest it is a good majority of our phone calls unless someone is trying to donate something,” Replogle said.
Other goals for the next three to five years include possibly partnering with Bartholomew County, who currently do not have a Habitat nonprofit locally, to expand and address housing needs in both counties.
The Brown County Community Foundation also awarded Habitat with a matching grant the nonprofit used to hire a consultant to learn how to move from event-based to donor-based fundraising. Habitat also implemented a new database along with policies and procedures.
“You have to get yourself in a position to grow and that is a lot of what we did,” Replogle said.
Hiring a new executive director and partnering with a new family for a home build this year makes it an exciting time for Habitat, Replogle said last week.
“Being able to hire a new executive director I believe will be a game changer not just for Habitat, but for our county’s desire to change the landscape in regards to affordable housing,” she said.
“I think there has been a growing consensus that affordable housing needs to be addressed and our hope is to not only build houses, but spur others on to find other creative solutions.”
Help support Habitat
Brown County Habitat for Humanity has some needs they hope the community can help meet:
- Church and individual donors
- Volunteers
- Partner Family mentors
- Board members with construction, banking and real estate experience
- Land donations
- Lunch coordinator
- Graphic designer
Can you help? Contact Habitat at 812-988-4926 or stop by their office at 646 Memorial Drive.
The Brown County Woodworkers Club is also offering to build a “Cruck” structure with a unique gothic design that will be sold once it is completed with all proceeds benefiting Habitat. The club is currently taking donations of oak and poplar logs for the project. Contact Scott Mills at [email protected] for more information on how to donate logs.
Buy a pie, support Habitat at fair this year
Come on down to the Brown County Fair on July 25 and make a bid on your favorite pie to help support Brown County Habitat for Humanity’s Brush with Kindness program.
The annual pie auction fundraiser for Habitat will begin at 7:30 p.m. on the Pavilion Stage at the fairgrounds. Anyone interested in donating a pie for the auction can call the Habitat office at 812-988-4926.
Last year’s auction yielded more than $3,000 in contributions to build the next home for a family in need in Brown County.
