Habitat for Humanity to dedicate two homes on Sunday

Evergreen Habitat for Humanity will dedicate the final two homes in McKibbin Commons, a 10-home subdivision in Vancouver’s Father Blanchet neighborhood, to the Hpauyam and Rice families on Sunday.

The celebration takes place 2 p.m. at 1110 S.E. 77th Court.

Husband and wife Brangmai and Merry Hpauyam and their daughter, Tsin Mai, were relocated from Myanmar through the Refugee Resettlement Program. Since then, Brangmai Hpauyam found a steady job and an apartment, and the family grew with the birth of two more daughters, Lulumai and Htoisan Mai.

“I thought it was impossible to own a home, when my daughters would ask why we don’t have a home, I told them it was not possible. Now I can tell them it is possible,” Brangmai Hpauyam said in a news release.

Casey Rice is a single mother of three children, Elyanna, Anthony and Annabell. They previously lived in a two-bedroom apartment.

“Bunk beds, shared closets and no yard make for a frustrating weekend with three kids,” said Rice, a Clark College graduate.

Homeownership means financial stability and a place for Rice’s children to play outside and grow.

In total, 492 volunteers contributed 7,213 hours to both homes, which were sponsored by the American Forest Resource Council and Habitat’s Women Build program.