Christmas in August

Christmas in August?

That’s how we feel. The anticipation of receiving that special gift – the one we knew we would receive eventually, but the waiting caused us to doubt – is behind us. Today, we break ground on the four single-family, rent-to-own homes we’ve been telling you about for more than two years.

When we say, “we” what we mean is all the partners who made this possible celebrating together at an official groundbreaking at 824 Semmes at noon. My Cup of Tea didn’t bring these houses to fruition alone. In fact, there is no guarantee that any of the ladies at The House will be moving into the new homes, though a few will be eligible and plan to apply. What is certain is that in a few months four families will be living in quality, affordable housing that they will have the opportunity to own. That’s a big deal for those families and for the Orange Mound community.

The process began with a simple donation. Carey and Rick Moore donated the empty lot at 824 Semmes. The lot had been purchased when they launched My Cup of Tea across the street at 823 Semmes as a potential site for expansion. The lot was donated to United Housing, a local nonprofit with an exemplary record of building affordable housing for the purpose of ownership throughout Memphis and Shelby County. United Housing has effectively and persistently led the project to this exciting stage of development.

In August of 2022, the Gannett Foundation awarded us $25,000 to fund “soft costs” – those expenses that are not part of the actual construction. We also raised an additional $17,000 from individual donors to cover these expenses.

While we were fundraising for soft costs, the team at United Housing was executing the long and tedious process of receiving various government approvals and applying for a federal grant through the city’s Department of Housing and Community Development and securing financing through Bank 3. The grant was eventually awarded to United Housing and the financing secured.

Last February, we hosted a public meeting at The House with United Housing and Bank 3 to seek neighborhood feedback. There were no objections to the project, only excitement about new housing options.

While we waited for approvals, plans, and funding, we revisited our financial literacy training in which every My Cup of Tea employee participates and focused on the fundamentals of homeownership and what it takes to secure a mortgage. Our partners at Regions and United Housing worked with ladies to shore up any issues with budgeting and credit.

At the beginning of this year, the bid package was prepared and advertised and a general contractors was chosen. A few more i's were dotted and t's crossed to bring us to this moment.

When the ribbon is cut at approximately noon, we will hear from Mayor Paul Young and the crowd will be comprised of representatives from United Housing, the City of Memphis, Congressman Cohen’s office, Bank 3, the architects, engineers, general contractor, donors, volunteers, and the My Cup of Tea ladies. We are not breaking ground on FedEx Forum or Tom Lee Park, but we will be smiling ear to ear just the same.

It’s been slow and at times hard work and included many partners, but making a real difference isn’t easy and rarely does anyone do it alone. So, if you happen to read this blog before noon, join us for this much anticipated celebration and wish us a “Merry Christmas.”