In every community, there are hard-working people who, for various reasons, have difficulty providing safe, decent, simple housing for their family.

Enter Habitat for Humanity.

The concept that grew into Habitat for Humanity International was born at Koinonia Farm, a small, interracial, Christian farming community founded in 1942 outside of Americus, Ga., by farmer and biblical scholar Clarence Jordan, according to the Habitat Web site.

Millard and Linda Fuller first visited Koinonia in 1965, having recently left a successful business in Montgomery and all the trappings of an affluent lifestyle to begin a new life of Christian service, the web site states.

At Koinonia, Jordan and Fuller developed the concept of “partnership housing” -where those in need of adequate shelter would work side by side with volunteers to build simple, decent houses.

The houses would be built with no profit added and no interest charged.

Building would be financed by a revolving Fund for Humanity. The fund’s money would come from the new homeowners’ house payments, donations and no-interest loans provided by supporters and money earned by fund-raising activities.

Since the organization was founded, Habitat International has built more than 200,000 houses around the world, providing more than 1 million people in more than 3,000 communities with safe, decent, affordable shelter.

In Selma, a fund-raiser was held last week to help the local effort. Due to the generosity of local supporters, the Christmas in April auction raised more than $13,000.

That money will be used to aid in the construction of a home for Selma resident Willie Rand. It will be the 41st house built by Habitat for Humanity in Selma.

Thank you to those who support Habitat for Humanity. The build will begin June 3, so make plans to come out and help build a home with a neighbor.