Gia Coates gathered her three kids into their car in Ashburn to drive to their new home in Leesburg. As they arrived, the newly renovated house was surrounded by friends, family and business representatives to welcome them. Loudoun Habitat for Humanity presented the house to the Coates family at a dedication ceremony Feb. 19.

The house, on Oak View Drive in Leesburg, had been unoccupied for about a year and was in bad shape when Habitat acquired it. Habitat volunteers gutted the place and installed all new appliances, insulation, floors, cabinets and fixtures throughout the house.

At the dedication, Coates told the crowd about the moment she got the phone call saying she had been selected as a partner family. She said she was so excited and emotional that she was completely distracted in her everyday life – she couldn’t focus at work.

Coates was contacted in October, and the renovations were finished at the end of January. She put in 200 hours of work on the house after work and on weekends. Her friends and family also had to put in many hours, because work hours are a requirement of the program.

“It’s hard to put into words what this means to the Coates family,” said Cynthia Jennings, secretary for Loudoun Habitat for Humanity. “The same goes for Habitat – it never ceases to amaze me.”

Loudoun County Supervisor Kelly Burk (D-Leesburg) said the home was a good example of public and private entities working together.

“My mother used to say, ‘A house is made of wood and beams; a home is made of hopes and dreams,’” Burk told Coates at the ceremony.
Bud Green, the Loudoun Habitat construction manager, said the renovations were as green and as cost-effective as possible.

R.A. Dobson, Inc., which donated time and money, stopped by the dedication to commemorate Gia and her family and told her to contact them any time in the future for their heating and air conditioning needs.

The ceremony was filled with laughter, tears and many emotions for Coates. Although she said she had been a little concerned with the house’s state at first, the end product was a masterpiece.

“I’m very excited, grateful and appreciative of everyone. It’s just a blessing, and my kids have stability,” Coates said as she wiped her eyes.

The house was funded by a partnership of Virginia Habitat for Humanity and Loudoun County’s housing fund.

“This is what Habitat for Humanity does best – a group of volunteers coming together to make this home,” said Pamela McGraw, president of Loudoun Habitat for Humanity.

Habitat for Humanity did not only renovate a house – they restored a great home where Coates and her three children, can now live and grow.
The Coates home is the 16th house in Loudoun County that Loudoun Habitat for Humanity has completed. Loudoun Habitat for Humanity is currently working on a house at Sugarland Run, and in the next few months it will break ground on a house in Middleburg.