Why Evansville's first Habitat for Humanity homeowner still lives in that 1984 home

EVANSVILLE, Ind. — On Christmas day 1984 it was packed wall-to-wall with family and friends in Bonita "Bonnie" Jones' Evansville home. The atmosphere was vibrant. There was laughter, good food and gifts.

But her best gift that year, a home.

She was Evansville's first Habitat for Humanity recipient. Bonnie, along with her husband Norman and four children, were the first to go through the Habitat homeowners program. 

Like so many Habitat homeowners since her, Jones couldn't afford what she was paying in her living expenses before she went through the program. 

Bobbi Hoy, a former Habitat for Humanity representative, encouraged her to apply for the then-brand new program. Once Bonnie was approved, she spent hours helping to build her home on Governor Street in 1983 along with students, neighbors, community members and friends.

"It was amazing because your friends could come and help you," she said. "You didn't have to wait until you got so many hours like you do now. We didn't pick get to pick a lot. They told us, 'This is where they're building the home.' Things started coming together then."

Construction of their four-bedroom brick home took less than a year. Her favorite thing about her house was watching it grow every day. 

"I was so excited just to have a home," she said. "We would go every day and look at the lot. We'd say, 'That over there is going to be the dining room.' It was just so amazing and so exciting. We were able to save money to buy new furniture because the furniture we had was here, there and everywhere."

Great neighbors and a great yard make it hard to leave 

And 35 years later, Jones is still there in the home she helped build.

She enjoys spending time with her neighbors, gardening, going to work at MJ's Cafe, playing with her 10 grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren and attending her prayer group meetings at Faith Temple Church of God in Christ four to five days per week. 

Her husband passed away almost 10 years ago, but she remains in the home she helped build with him. 

"I still love that home and will always love that home," Jones said. "It has a nice backyard, and neighbors always watch out for each other. There was no color. We just loved one another."

Jones said she encourages her family members to look into Habitat. Her daughter went through the process with a home build a few years ago. And Jones' granddaughter was Habitat for Humanity of Evansville's 499th homeowner, she said.

"The more you do for yourself, the more value you take in," Jones said. "To see your children's eyes light up because we're going to actually have enough money to do this, that and (building your home) — was the best."

Other Habitat homeowners: How a single mom, CNA sacrificed to earn Habitat for Humanity's 500th Evansville home