The Rochelle Area Community Foundation continues to make lives brighter in the Hub City, awarding a grant to Habitat for Humanity of Ogle County on Thursday.
RACF executive director Kim Montgomery along with member Tim Hayden presented a check to Vanessa White-Broome, executive director for HFHOC, which will be applied towards the latest home build in Rochelle.
The Price family of Rochelle was selected by HFHOC as the recipient of the new home, chosen among several applicants. The organization helps families realize their dream of home ownership. Through HFHOC the Price family will have a no-interest loan, which gives them the affordability to own their own home.
The family will also contribute 200 hours of “sweat equity” and will be working alongside many other volunteers and local organizations in the home build.
“It’s an honor and we are blessed to have had this opportunity to apply for this grant that will ultimately benefit the Price family,” White-Broome said. “We appreciate everything the Foundation has done for us.”

The newest home to be built on Eighth Avenue marks the twelfth build in Ogle County for the organization, previously in Byron, Polo, Forreston, Oregon, and Mt. Morris.
Earlier this year the property to build the home was donated to the non-profit organization. All items that were salvageable have been removed from home, and is scheduled for demolition in mid-June. Construction on the new home is expected to follow shortly after, with an anticipated completion near the holiday season.
Montgomery said this grant awarded to HFHOC is one of about 30 given this year.
“We expect by the end of the year to have awarded about $55,000, which has increased from last year and greatly increased over the initial grants we were giving 10 years ago. Those were about $20,000.”

HFHOC
The non-profit organization recently held their annual Prime Rib Dinner fundraiser in Rochelle for the first time. White-Broome thanked the community for the support to help make the fundraiser a big success, and said the Price family enjoyed the support.
“We are just so blessed to be able to make these grants. It’s a wonderful thing that Habitat has a location in Rochelle…I just hope there are more Habitat houses we can help with in the future,” Montgomery said. “Mr. Carmichael would be so happy with this project. I just know he would be.”
The foundation was first started by Leonard Carmichael.