Habitat for Humanity leader moving on

Kyle Schmidt, St. Joseph News-Press, Mo.
·2 min read

Apr. 27—St Joseph's Habitat for Humanity will be wishing its executive director Shay Homeyer good luck as she embarks on a new journey in Nebraska.

Homeyer has been with Habitat for 10 years. Though she is leaving the area, her impact will remain in the many projects she has helped happen.

"Our latest project has been 1500 East Highland, Mahaffey Valley," Homeyer said. "That is going to be a seven-house project just kind of north of town here."

She didn't seek out her new position; it more so presented itself to her.

"I didn't go looking for this opportunity, it came and found me," she said. "It was just the right timing. It was time for me to move on a little closer to home."

Homeyer said she hopes to continue to help facilitate growth in her new destination.

"I'm hoping to expand in the southeast part of Nebraska," she said. "Helping some of the rural communities, not just Lincoln, Nebraska."

Habitat for Humanity does uniform work in many places, so the skills Homeyer has learned in St. Joseph will be able to translate.

Habitat will not be without an executive director. Tim Osborn, who has served as the director of operations for Habitat, will step in as the interim director.

"He's highly qualified, knows exactly what's going on," she said.

Homeyer has been a part of many successful projects, and some are even still in the works.

"We successfully got a residential carpentry apprentice program, which is going to be in our new building that we use the (American Rescue Plan Act) dollars for where we're going to be able to offer anyone over the age of 18 the opportunity to be in an apprentice program," she said. "So we'll be able to build more houses using the apprentices as well as training those in residential carpentry who can be in the workforce here, helping build more houses in St. Joseph."

Homeyer wants the St. Joseph community to move forward united.

"I think the main thing I want people to know here in St. Joseph is everything we do is a team effort. And I have the greatest team here in St. Joe," she said. "We've done a lot of changes and a lot of growth in a short amount of time, and I know that they will be successful in."