Nelson and Marjorie’s story began 25 years ago painting a fence for a Habitat Chesapeake (HFHC) house in the Waverly area of Baltimore. “This random guy came to lunch with us, and the rest is history,” HFHC volunteer Marjorie explained how she met her husband of 23 years. She was participating with friends as a part of the Immaculate Conception Church group from Towson, Maryland, and Nelson, her now husband, was there on his own, in between jobs and looking for a way to give back.
On the morning of November 23, 2024, Marjorie got ready and was ushered out the door with little information about the day ahead. Unbeknownst to her, Nelson had arranged for the crew from the original build to join them on the construction site. When they arrived, she started to see faces familiar to her from that memorable day a quarter-century ago. Nelson had planned the anniversary surprise for months, coordinating with attendees, many of whom the couple has maintained close friendships with, exchanging Christmas cards and communicating regularly.
Love filled the air on the build site, not just surrounding the happy couple on their anniversary, but also radiating through the strong bonds shared among friends. The sweat of hard work could hardly mask the glow of rekindled camaraderie. “It’s really nice to reminisce,” HFHC volunteer Amy explained, describing fondly what it’s like to come back and build with members of the original group. She added, “it’s nice to reflect back because I haven’t seen them for a long time, so it brings back memories. Joking about the things we used to do like cleaning out just really messy houses or painting a chain-link fence and just random things we did back in the day.” Amidst the effort, there were moments of laughter and tears, laying the foundation for new memories that will stand the test of time.
“We credit Habitat with a lot,” Marjorie said, touting volunteer opportunities with HFHC as a powerful force for good, providing opportunities to meet people and form lasting relationships. Giving back is a core value that first brought the couple together, serves as a pillar of their relationship and is a concept they passed on to their children. The couple married in 2001 after a year of dating and are now the parents of three teens who regularly volunteer with Habitat affiliates at the ReStore and on site. Beaming despite the tears of pride glistening in her eyes, Marjorie lovingly boasted about her children having giving hearts and expressed, “they’re good kids, very compassionate. Makes me proud.”
Beyond the build site, as a couple, they have taken on do-it-yourself home improvement projects in every home they have lived in and describe themselves as handy around the house. When speaking to their dynamic working on these projects, Nelson warmly referred to his wife as a “really good designer”, with a vision for all their projects. “It’s up to me to take that vision and make it come true,” he added. The couple also explained that this hobby has been an integral, rewarding and enjoyable aspect of their relationship and the activities they do with their kids. As a pair, they approach each project wanting the same goal, though how they get there is “sometimes a little different,” but in the end, they are “always together.” Marjorie mentioned that projects like these help with creativity and put “your mind to work, not just your hands”.
Over the years, they have served their community in several ways, through volunteering with their church for over 20 years in a contemporary music group and having avid involvement with their kids’ school and extracurriculars. Of all their community involvement, HFHC holds a special place in their hearts. They share a strong passion for HFHC’s mission. “Habitat is such an amazing program – helping people with housing, helping people with financing and also educating and homeownership and contributing to the community. There are really amazing benefits to Habitat that are just tremendous for the community and for other people to be involved in,” Marjorie said. Equally enthusiastic about HFHC, Nelson explained that “when you think of the basic needs for people one of the first ones is a place to live. This gives people a really nice place to live, a place to be proud of and take ownership of. It’s amazing.”
On an HFHC construction site, not just homes but impactful relationships are built. As Nelson put it, “you’re meeting people with the same values, or at least one value: helping other people, and so that’s a nice base to build off of.” On the construction site and beyond, HFHC serves as a transformative unifier, bringing people together to build homes, communities, and hope in Central Maryland.