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TOLEDO FAMILY GETS NEW HOME THROUGH BOC AND HABITAT FOR HUMANITY
Casida, 27, will be the first in her family to own a home. She now rents a two-bedroom house in downtown Toledo, and says she wanted her children to be able to play outside without her constantly worrying they’d get hurt. “This isn’t a good neighborhood. There has been violence here, especially on this street,” Casida said. The family also needed more living space. Her daughter’s bedroom is a former pantry off the kitchen; her son sleeps in the living room. Casida’s new, single family ranch house will have three bedrooms, one bathroom, a living room, dining room and kitchen. “My kids are excited they’ll have their own bedrooms. And I’m excited we’ll have a dining room, so we can sit down together to eat. Now we have no room for a kitchen table. The kids sit at their folding table; while they eat I’ll sometimes stand or I’ll sit and eat in a chair in my room,” Casida said. In March, Casida learned Habitat had selected her to receive a house. Once selected, recipients must complete several hundred “sweat equity” hours. They work at the Habitat office and work to build theirs or another recipient’s home. Casida has completed some 150 hours to date; after she completes 300 hours she’ll be able to move into her home. “My family and friends were so excited when they heard I’d been selected. They can’t wait until the house is done. My dad said, ‘I’ve never been to a housewarming party, I want you to have one,''' Casida said. Since March, Casida has been asking a lot more questions about building and construction at the Carter lumberyard in Toledo, Ohio, where she works as a counter salesperson, helping customers design plans for decks, garages and pole barns. “I’m really excited for the build. I’m going to learn how to roof and I’m excited about it, because I figure roofs all day now. I think after I help with everything, putting in the electrical and the plumbing, I may be able to fix things better than I do now,” Casida said. Casida, who took courses at the University of Toledo and Owens Community College until her children were born, says she may switch her major when she returns to school. “I’d like to do something with building and construction, I’d like to learn how to design houses,” she said. “I’m so thankful to BOC and Habitat. It’s just a blessing to be getting a house, to get my kids out of here into someplace safe where they can grow up and not having to move all the time. That way, they can say, ‘This is where I grew up, this is my home,’” Casida said. Habitat’s homes aren’t gifts; once they move in, recipients pay a monthly mortgage to Habitat. But the 25-year loans are interest free. For a home like Casida’s, located in a new, 14-home subdivision, the monthly mortgage is $425. “We’re grateful for the opportunity to work with BOC in providing a new home for a family in need in Northwest Ohio,” said Tolani Kashimawo, director of development for the Maumee Valley Habitat for Humanity. BOC is also putting down roots in the Toledo area. The company is investing over $100 million to build a large hydrogen and utilities complex in Toledo to supply BP and Sunoco oil refineries. When the facility begins operating, the refiners will use the hydrogen to produce cleaner burning gasoline and diesel. “It’s a way to reduce environmental pollutants, to make the best use of our natural resources and ensure drivers get the fuel they need for their automobiles,” said Stuart Jara, vice president, finance and planning, for BOC’s Process Systems division. Jara, who leads BOC’s involvement in the Habitat project, said, “We want to contribute to the community we are joining. What better way to do that than to provide a safer home for two young children and their mother? We’re pleased to be able to invest in the future of Toledo and its residents.”
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