Posted Friday, October 14, 2022 12:52 pm

By ALLEN MINCEY, Cleveland Daily Banner

The Cullins family — James and Jessica, and their children (Jaheaven, Jahalen, Ju’sayaus and Jaliyssa — will be moving into their new Habitat home following the dedication ceremony held Monday, and will carry with them the memory of another son — Jaheim — who will also be a part of the new residence.

Dedication of the new home in Morelock Meadows was held Monday morning under what Habitat for Humanity of Cleveland Executive Director Tammy Johnson said “was the best weather we have had … not too hot, not too cold, and not raining.” Several responsible for helping build the new home were in attendance at the dedication.

The Cullins family have been living in a three-bedroom home, which Jessica had said was “kind of scrunched.” The new home will allow for more room, as well as being within walking distance of Blythe-Bower Elementary School, where most of the children will attend.

“It is a tremendous blessing to be able to be a part of Habitat,” said Jessica Cullins at the dedication. “This right here (the home) is going to be a tremendous blessing to my family and to my kids.

“We have a safe place, a place where we can worship, a place where I can grow my kids up in the right way,” she continued. “We are very excited and the location is perfect. I have three that go over to Blythe-Bower, and one at Cleveland Middle.”

Jessica told those in attendance being selected to be the newest Habitat homeowner can at a rough time for her family, but at the right time.

“In 2018, I lost my son (Jaheim), so when we got that letter that said we could come and start the process, it was a blessing,” Jessica said. “It was a light at the end of this tunnel. It’s for (Jaheim) too, and we will carry him on for the rest of our lives.”

In fact, as the structure was being built, Jessica made sure photos of Jaheim were placed in the walls so he would be “a part of the home.”

“I put his picture inside the wall before they sealed it up,” Jessica said.

The Cullins have put in nearly 400 hours of “sweat equity,” with Jessica working mostly at the home build, and James at the Habitat ReStore.

“While I was working nights, I would let her come and do the build part of it, which kept her involved in it,” James Cullins explained. “I would let her come up here at the house while I slept.

“We work together on everything,” he noted.

Johnson told those attending the dedication Jessica became so handy with building tools that she was showing others how to work at the home.

Several who took part in the building of the Cullins' new home were present at the dedication, and spoke of being so fortunate to be a part of the build, and of helping the family they grew to know and love.

Those speaking included Charlotte Peak representing the Ocoee Region Builders Association; Corey Divel of the Habitat Board of Directors; Karen Colley of the local Chick-fil-A (which Johnson said provided close to half of the funding for the home); and Mark Gluckner, who served as the homeowner advocate for the family. Pastor Bob Zwarych once again performed the Litany of Dedication and presented the family with a Bible.

James added that he and his wife will be able to help in the next phase of Habitat homes being built in Morelock Meadows. The next project at the site will be a four-family quadplex, the first to be constructed for Habitat for Humanity of Cleveland.

“Jeff would be so proud of the work that has been done, and if you knew Jeff, he was a very quiet, behind-the-scenes mover and shaker and he did a lot for our Habitat families and a lot for our community,” Johnson said of Jeff Morelock, a longtime Habitat supporter and namesake for the Morelock Meadows development. “His memory continues to motivate us to do even more.”