EDMOND — For Ginny Kay Moore, getting around in her current Edmond home is challenging.

Since Moore was born she has been in a wheelchair due to spina bifida, which left her paralyzed from the waist down. Spina bifida is a birth defect that involves the incomplete development of the spinal cord or its coverings.

She cannot turn around in her wheelchair inside the narrow bathrooms.

In the kitchen, the stove is too high.

And the cabinets and countertops are too tall, so in space under the stove she keeps dishes and glasses on a turntable.

Moore has been renting the house for 18 and 1/2 years. In a few months, thanks to Edmond’s Turning Point Ministries, Moore will move into a new home, her own home, a barrier-free home.

“This is really a miracle,” Moore said. “I’ve always rented a home. I’ve never had a house of my own. This will give me a chance to say, ‘This is a house of my own.’”



Turning Point

Turning Point Ministries forms a bridge between those needing affordable Edmond housing and Central Oklahoma Habitat for Humanity, said Turning Point co-leader Bob Turner. Currently, Habitat is unable to buy lots in Edmond because of the high cost of land, Turner said.

Turning Point Ministries’ second build in conjunction with Habitat will begin at 8 a.m. Saturday at 205 W. Wayne. Ministry co-leader Dick Freeman said the home would take six to eight weeks to complete.

Moore’s home will be located just down the block from the home built for Turning Point’s first recipient, a widowed Edmond high school librarian with two teenage children.

Several members of the First Presbyterian Church of Edmond established Turning Point to benefit individuals who have a compelling need to live in Edmond. Moore is the sister of Michele Hughes, and Michele’s husband, Jack, is a member of the First Presbyterian Church of Edmond.

However, the ministry is not just for First Presbyterian, but for the community at large, Turner said. Volunteers are coming from the community and a growing number of churches including First Presbyterian, the First Christian Church and Henderson Hills Baptist Church.

Turning Point has bought land for more houses, which ministry leaders have said in some cases improves upon neglected property.

“Through the generosity of members of the community, Turning Point has had an outstanding first year,” Turner said.

The Turning Point-Habitat partnership is important because through Habitat the homeowner is able to receive an interest-free loan, often making their house payment less than they had been paying for rent, Turner said.

Moore said when it is safe enough for her wheelchair to come onto the construction zone, she will contribute her “sweat equity.” Habitat requires that home recipients contribute volunteer labor.

Moore said she is grateful for the support she has received from Habitat, Turning Point and from all of the volunteers who will help build her home. Metro Builders Supply donated a portion of the specialized appliances and Home Depot donated part of the plumbing fixtures.

Additionally, Edmond architect Don Hildebrand custom-designed the home for Moore. It will have an accessible kitchen, wheelchair friendly bathrooms and an interior safe room.

“I think it’s great,” Moore said. “I like the enthusiasm that other people are signing up for my house. If they were in my shoes, I would do the same for them.”

Central Oklahoma Habitat for Humanity has built more than 465 homes since 1990. At least 45 additional homes were scheduled to be built in 2008.

FOR MORE information about Turning Point Ministries, call 818-6264. For more information about Central Oklahoma Habitat for Humanity, visit www.centraloklahomahabitat.org.



THE DETAILS - how to help

Financial donors are needed to help Turning Point Ministries expand, and volunteers are needed to help with Habitat builds. Your help — new or continued — will allow this ministry to continue providing clean, comfortable homes for those who currently live in substandard situations. Turning Point is a 501(c)3 organization and donations are tax deductible.

Checks may be mailed to Turning Point Ministries, 3206 Teakwood Lane, Edmond, OK 73013.

To volunteer or if you know of someone who must live in Edmond and who might qualify for a Habitat home, call 818-6264.