Doctor King’s Beloved Community

At Habitat for Humanity of Chester County, we are propelled by a vision of a world where everyone has a decent place to live. A world where homeownership, as a fundamental human right, is achievable for everyone. Our mission is devoted to this because we believe that everyone – regardless of who we are or where we come from – deserves the opportunity to build a better future for themselves. Believing is not enough, so we build.

We build houses so that many first-time homeowners can build strength, stability, and self-reliance. We work with many deserving families that just need a hand-up to succeed. Our Habitat homeowners work hard for this opportunity through sweat equity and a reasonable mortgage payment. These families are more than willing to work hard toward achieving a better future through homeownership. When we build houses, we also build bridges between people of diverse backgrounds and paths to more connected communities. We do our part to create a world of kindness and equal opportunities worth celebrating.

This new world we described represents what Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. called “the Beloved Community.” The Beloved Community is fair. The Beloved Community is just. The Beloved Community is built on love. Not just any love, but as Dr. King said, “the love of God operating in the human heart.”

Our global organization, Habitat for Humanity, began at Koinonia Farm. This community was an interracial community farm outside Americus, Georgia, founded in 1942 by the farmer and biblical scholar Clarence Jordan. Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, Clarence and his fellow Koinonia residents were fiercely committed to the equality of all people and devoted to creating opportunity for all.

Born from that vision, we have grown into the global organization we are today. Our established beginnings fuel our belief that accessible homeownership and affordable opportunities for low-income families are critical components to creating the kind of future Dr. King envisioned.

We care about those among us who need our help. We take on the struggles of others as our own and want for them the exact things we want for ourselves. We live each day knowing that we are bound together and that each of us must do our part. We thrive together, or we will wither alone.

At Habitat for Humanity of Chester County, we are here to do our part and lend a helping hand to our Chester County community members. As Dr. King said, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” We strive to be a light for those who have felt hopeless. We strive to spread love to those who have felt discouraged and stuck in a cycle of unaffordable living conditions.

We pledge to help build the Beloved Community here in Chester County. By doing our part in our local community, we are an impactful motion in a larger global movement for equal opportunities, achievable homeownership, access to jobs, and neighborhoods built upon love and kindness.

Join us in the pledge to build the Beloved Community.