Habitat for Humanity will build another home

The family of Matthew Verhoeven and Kaitlynn Sticha were surprised on Thursday, June 2, when more than 30 people showed up at their apartment at East Gate Estates in New Prague. The mixture of family and friends were there with representatives of Habitat for Humanity to let the couple and their two small children know they had been chosen for a new house to be constructed along Wencel Avenue NE.

Verhoeven and Sticha were told to expect a few people over for an early celebration of Verhoeven’s birthday. “This is a surprise. We had no idea at all,” said Sticha, a stay at home mom, who grew up in Lonsdale.

“I was surprised,” said Verhoeven, a life long resident of New Prague. “I’m excited. It will be nice to get out of a small townhome.” Verhoeven, who works for Integrated Manufacturing Solutions in Shakopee, said their apartment was fine when their son Nickolai and daughter Autumn were little. That’s changed now that they are ages 3 and 2, respectively. “Now they’re learning how to run,” said Verhoeven, adding they have to be careful and there are lots of toys.

Joan Goggins of Habitat for Humanity in New Prague said the new house will have space for a yard for toys. She said they hope to have volunteers and beginning building after the Fourth of July.

The couple have many relatives who can help. Those that were celebrating the good news on June 2 with them included Verhoeven’s parents Mark and Cathy Verhoeven, his sister Kaylee Verhoeven and grandmother Adrienne Skluzacek. Members of Sticha’s family were her mom and step-dad Kerri and Tom Turek, her dad AJ Sticha, her sisters Morgan, Allison and Jaydon, grandparents Leon and Bonnie Nelson, uncle Jamie Nelson and grandmother Arline.

Partner families in Habitat for Humanity make an investment of “sweat equity” by helping build their own Habitat home as well as Habitat homes of others. The families then...

To see more on this story pick up the June 9, 2016 print edition of The New Prague Times.