Warren County Habitat Hosts First-Ever Sneaker Ball, Mixing Enjoyable with a Highly effective Mission

Sneakers changed stilettos, and mission took heart stage at Warren County Habitat for Humanity’s inaugural Sneaker Ball, held this weekend to have a good time group, elevate funds, and rally help for reasonably priced housing efforts within the county.

The sold-out occasion, held in a ballroom full of glowing centerpieces and friends donning their most fashionable kicks, highlighted how housing insecurity impacts native households—and what’s being accomplished to vary that.

“Tonight, we celebrate community, creativity, and commitment,” mentioned fundraising chair Sonya Wilkins as she welcomed friends. “Three things that make Warren County shine brighter every year.”

Keynote speaker Ken Knesh delivers an inspiring handle on the Sneak Ball, highlighting the significance of group, resilience, and coming collectively to have a good time shared achievements.

The night featured dinner, dancing, a reside public sale, and tales from native leaders who’ve witnessed the influence of Habitat’s work firsthand. One of probably the most highly effective moments got here throughout remarks from Ken Knesh, principal of Warren County High School, who spoke emotionally concerning the toll housing instability takes on college students.

“You can tell the signs,” Knesh mentioned. “Maybe a student doesn’t lift their head when you say hello. Or there’s an increase in irritability, which causes a referral to the office. Know your kids, you know the signs.”

He described how youngsters dwelling in automobiles, motels, or shifting between kin’ properties are sometimes absent, hungry, and unable to focus at school. “For many of them, there is no next time. No prom, no yearbook, no sports, no rite of passage, because they have no stable place to call home,” he mentioned.

Knesh emphasised the function of colleges as secure areas for college students, the place they’re seen, supported, and given a way of stability. But he warned that even the very best college can’t exchange the necessity for a steady house.

“They are a byproduct of their surroundings,” Knesh mentioned. “Together as a community, we can support our students by providing them with safe and affordable housing. We can give them the tools to be confident in who they are and to be proud of the community they call home.”

The message resonated with the greater than 150 friends in attendance, who gave Knesh a standing ovation.

Andrea Ross, Executive Director of Warren County Habitat for Humanity, shares heartfelt remarks on the Sneak Ball, emphasizing the ability of partnership and the influence of secure, reasonably priced housing.

The night additionally marked a second of celebration and reflection for Andrea Ross, Executive Director of Warren County Habitat for Humanity, who has led the group by way of years of transformation and progress.

“This year has been all about collaboration,” Ross advised the group. “We made it a project to work with as many local organizations as we could. And you’ve shown up. You’ve had fun. But you’ve also helped build homes and hope.”

Ross highlighted a particular donation partnership with CCAP (Congregational-Community Action Project), the native nonprofit that obtained greater than 100 pairs of donated sneakers collected by Habitat from throughout the county.

“While we talk sneakers, we often talk about walking a mile in someone’s shoes,” Ross mentioned. “It’s not always easy, but it keeps us humble if we take the time to see what our neighbors go through.”

In a touching second, Ross credited group members Frank Stankiewicz of Green To Ground Electrical Services and Cody Warren of Warren-Lee Construction for stepping in when the group was vulnerable to closure.

“Cody came to me and said, ‘What can I do?’” Ross recalled. “And because of that conversation, and the heart behind it, houses are going up on Osage Street right now.”

The Osage Street improvement, which now features a duplex and single-family house underneath roof, is an element of a bigger imaginative and prescient to revitalize the historic neighborhood one house at a time.

Ross mentioned the progress was about greater than buildings. “Habitat is a community organization. And this community, no matter our differences, is good at its core. We might not always agree, but when it comes time to help our neighbors, we show up.”

The Sneaker Ball additionally included heartfelt speeches from outgoing Habitat president Debra Siksay, who mirrored on the group’s journey from near-merger to a completely impartial and thriving native chapter.

“We are building physically, spiritually, and emotionally,” Siksay mentioned. “It’s changing lives, and I am humbled to have been part of it.”

As friends later lined as much as compete within the “Best Sneaker” contest, cheered on by music from the DJ sales space, it was clear the occasion had struck a uncommon stability, mixing enjoyable and vogue with a mission that deeply issues. The winners of the sneaker contest had been Stephanie Myers and Andrew Ross, every acknowledged for sporting standout model that embodied the night’s spirit, mixing goal with persona.

Stephanie Myers and Andrew Ross had been topped Best Sneakers of the Night at Warren County Habitat for Humanity’s inaugural Sneaker Ball, displaying off standout model that paired completely with the night’s goal. Photo courtesy of Leah Howard, Leah Faith Photography

In the phrases of Principal Knesh: “Visibility is key. Showing the community that you care can leave a powerful impression.” And on this night time, Warren County Habitat made that impression loud and clear.