FineMark employees pose with future Habitat Homeowner Lillian before they raised the walls to her new, affordable home. FineMark National Bank and Trust recently pledged $1 million to Habitat so more homeowners like Lillian have a stable place to live.
It’s not easy to spend large amounts of time in the sweltering Southwest Florida sun in June, but that’s exactly what a group of dedicated volunteers did during simultaneous wall raisings at Habitat’s HOA neighborhood of Heritage Heights. Both were funded through FineMark National Bank and Trusts’ recent $1 million pledge to Habitat. Over the next three years, the generous donation will fund an additional four homes. On top of that, volunteers from FineMark were on hand for hours to raise the walls of the two homes. About two dozen FineMark employees worked shoulder-to-shoulder with future Habitat Homeowner Lillian.
“It makes you feel good to be part of that company that has colleagues that are willing to commit themselves and their personal time to come out for an effort like this,” remarked FineMark’s Executive Vice President/Chief Credit Officer and Habitat Board Chair, Robert Arnall. “When you’re a part of the Finemark family, it’s just part of your DNA.”
At 72, Lillian never thought she’d see this day happen.
“God gave me the dream [of homeownership] because I never thought it was possible,” she explained. “I don’t even know if I had the plan or the intention. I thought I would die in a little old folks’ home. I’m not going to die in that old folks home anymore!”
About a dozen other volunteers from Publix also showed up to help with the two wall raisings. Altogether, nearly three dozen volunteers hammered, hoisted walls, and sweated as they raised the dreams of two homeowners.
“I heard something recently that dreams don’t end,” shared Lillian. “They keep us going, they give us hope, and they allow us to believe that anything is possible.”
