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Habitat for Humanity embraces good fortune Grant, accomplishments have local group buzzing By Susan Jay Habitat for Humanity Rogue Valley is on a roll. This week the group received word that U.S. Bank has awarded the local nonprofit a $50,000 grant. And at 2 p.m. today, the group will dedicate its 15th home, at 1425 Lawnridge St., Medford. The organization recently bought two more building lots, one in Medford and one in White City. The funds came from a $10,000 grant from The Carpenter Foundation and other donations. And KOGAP has offered to temporarily store two homes, donated by the Rogue Valley Manor, while the group looks for new home sites. "It's just been incredible what we've seen happen with this project," said Linda Lincoln, the group's president. The Lawnridge Street home, the group's first rehabilitation project, stirred up a lot of activity this summer and fall. The home is one of five houses built on Ellendale Avenue donated to Habitat by the Rogue Valley Manor, in order for the Manor to make room for a new affordable senior housing project. Sergio and Ann Munoz and their four children will move into the 1,200-square-foot, remodeled home next week. The family from Trail has three daughters and a son. He is a ranch laborer, and she is a homemaker. Their Habitat home is also the first to be part of Oprah Winfrey's Angel Network, and the first to have a corporate sponsor, the Manor, Lincoln said. Last fall, talk-show host Winfrey said she wanted to help build 205 Habitat homes by December 1998 in all the towns where television affiliates air her show. She urged local stations to provide free publicity to their Habitat groups. KDRV has run a series on the local Habitat group and the Lawnridge house project once a week since June. The tape will run sometime nationally on Oprah's show. Lincoln feels that the local television series, combined with the group's speaking engagements and the Manor's corporate sponsorship, has boosted awareness, bringing more donations and partnerships. "We've always done our work kind of quietly," Lincoln said. Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1998, Medford, Oregon USA