Celebrating 30 Years

Since 1991, MacHabitat has been building homes, community, and hope in the McMinnville area. We partner with low-income families to build safe, decent, affordable homes. Habitat families must meet three criteria: need, ability to pay a mortgage and associated housing costs, and willingness to partner. To date, we have built 68 homes.

The McMinnville Area is on the front lines of Oregon’s affordable housing crisis. Now more than ever, a Habitat home opens doors to strength, stability, and self-reliance – building a strong foundation for a better life. Investing in the futures of these four homeowners is a strong step towards a community where everyone has a safe, decent place to live.

A word from Katie Curry, Current Executive Director

Meet our 2024 Homeowner Partners!

Thanks to a grant from Oregon Housing and Community Services and an outpouring of community support, we are able to build FOUR homes in 2024 more quickly than anticipated! We look forward to welcoming the Moore Family, the Cuaxinque Family, Melva Martinez and the Johnson Family to their new homes very soon.

“Home to me is a foundation; building roots and being able to grow in a house that we’ll then pass on for generations.”   – Miranda Johnson, Future Habitat Homeowner

2023 Women Build & 30th Anniversary Build

Meet the Flinn and Pacheco Families! Click the videos and scroll through the photos below to follow their journey as homeowners.

Photos of the families were taken by artist-in-residence Adrian Chitty of Artisanal Photo.

2023 Women Build

The Flinn family home was built through MacHabitat’s Women Build program – which provides the opportunity for women to take a proactive step in making a positive impact in the lives of women and their families. A large portion of funds for our Women Build homes are raised through MacHabitat’s annual Women Build & Brunch in May. We are immensely thankful to Maysara Winery for making this event possible, providing their delicious wine and beautiful venue. We also thank Lum’s Buick GMC and Les Schwab for their 2023 sponsorship – and our Women Build committee for organizing this beloved annual event. We also were fortunate enough to receive generous funding from the Marie Lamfrom Charitable Foundation to help build this home!

30th Anniversary Build

MacHabitat is celebrating more than 30 years of bringing people together to build homes, community, and hope in the McMinnville area – and to celebrate, we partnered with local businesses and community members to build a home for the Pacheco family! A huge thank you to our 30th Anniversary Partners:

Meet a few of the partners who made this build possible! Click the buttons below for videos telling the story of these valued partnerships.

2022 Winery Build

Meet our Winery Build Family!

Meet the Gonzalez Family who live in the MacHabitat Home that Wine Country Built! Click the videos and scroll through the photos below to follow their journey as homeowners.

This build would not have been possible without the hard work and dedication of the Willamette Valley Wineries Association (WVWA), our Construction Crew, and all the wineries, businesses, volunteers and community members who helped us build from start to finish. Eliazar, María Ana, Emiliano, Hazael, Camila and their new baby girl Sofia have begun their new journey as homeowners in our Aspire Community Development!
*Photos taken by artist-in-residence Adrian Chitty of Artisanal Photo.

2021 Winery Build Blog

To commemorate this build, our Artist-in-Residence, Adrian Chitty, is telling the story of the build through his photography. Our retired ReStore Manager, Steve Long, added words to the story, by talking to the donors, volunteers, and staff who make our mission of bringing people together to build homes, community, and hope, a reality! 

Chapter 1 – Family and Foundation

Our Roots

This is the very first home MacHabitat ever built! Our story starts when Bernie Turner and a few of his friends (Verne Cooperrider, Joyce Palmer, Margie Taylor, and Mark Trumbo) decided to start a chapter of Habitat for Humanity in McMinnville. Bernie had recently retired as the pastor at First Baptist Church and was motivated by hearing former president Jimmy Carter speak about his volunteer work with Habitat. He became passionate about providing homeownership opportunities to low-income families in the community.

With Roz at his side, Bernie and friends built MacHabitat’s first home in McMinnville in 1991 for the Sanchez Family with the help of dedicated volunteers, charitable local businesses, and generous donors. This life-changing home was the start of something beautiful – not just for the Sanchezes, but by giving a newfound sense of purpose to the whole community.