MLK’s Beloved Community

Habitat for Humanity is propelled by a vision of a world where everyone has a decent place to live. We devote ourselves to creating that world because we believe everyone — every single one of us, regardless of who we are or where we come from — deserves a decent life and deserves the opportunity for a better future.

Believing is not enough, so we build. We build houses — and through those houses, the strength, stability and self-reliance that families need in order to achieve a better life. We build ways for all people to come together and share in the creation of a new world. That new world allows access, equality and opportunity for all. That new world represents what Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. called “the Beloved Community.”

The Beloved Community is built on love. Not just any love, but as Dr. King said, “the love of God operating in the human heart.” That’s a practical love that requires participation. When that love is truly and fully present, it compels us to act. It’s part of Habitat’s birthright. In the 1960’s, Habitat’s founders Millard and Linda Fuller, were inspired by what they saw and experienced at a place called Koinonia Farm in rural Georgia.  In 1976, they established Habitat for Humanity based on the concepts of Partnership Housing and the Fund for Humanity, which were developed at Koinonia Farm. Born from that vision, Habitat has grown into a global organization that has worked hard to live out that kind of love for more than 40 years. It fuels our belief that making homeownership accessible and affordable for low-income families is a critical component to creating the kind of future that Dr. King envisioned.

With his emphasis on the Beloved Community, Dr. King gave us the blueprint. People and organizations of faith and perseverance like the founders of Koinonia Farm and Habitat for Humanity have stewarded it and advanced it. Now it’s up to all of us to make it a reality.  We hope you will continue to support Habitat in 2023 as we pursue our mission in Solano and Napa counties.

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This article was adapted from Habitat.org – click here to learn more about Habitat’s history, including Koinonia Farm.