BENTON — Stephanie Brogdon has moved from the store to the office.
“This gives me the opportunity to see the bigger picture and to have more of an impact and opportunity to grow relationships and partnerships with people in the community,” Brogdon said.
Brogdon was recently named the new executive director for Habitat for Humanity of Saline County in Benton.
“In this role, I get to see the big picture and see how it all fits together,” Brogdon said. “I get to see potential homeowners coming in the door, as well as finding donors and building those relationships — eventually getting to see homeowners getting keys and kids getting their own rooms, getting to complete the circle.”
She replaces former executive director Shari L. Day, who left to pursue a career in ministry.
“She laid a pretty good trail for me to follow and expand on,” Brogdon said.
According to the website www.habitatsalinecounty.com, “Habitat for Humanity of Saline County is part of a global nonprofit housing organization operated on Christian principles that seek to put God’s love into action by building homes, communities and hope.” For more information, visit the website.
Currently, there are 57 homes built in Saline County for Habitat, and Brogdon said the goal is to build five homes per year. Brogdon said that while most of the homes are in Benton, the organization eventually wants to start building in Bryant, as well as Haskell and on Arkansas 5 toward Hot Springs Village.
“Something that actually is kind of new is we are actually getting recycled homes back,” Brogdon said. “We get them back for whatever reason.
“It could be because of a death or a foreclosure, or some are just life circumstances. The couple has more kids, and [the family is] growing out of a two-bedroom or three-bedroom home.”
Brogdon said they get those houses back; then they go in and remodel them and provide them for the next homeowner.
“Right now, we have five families assigned to houses for this year, including a new build and four that will be recycled,” she said. “We try not to have a waiting list, not too long of one, anyways.
“We don’t want to get people into the program too early and them having to wait a year or more for their house.”
To qualify for a home, Brogdon said, applicants undergo background checks and credit checks.
“They also have to fall into certain income requirements,” she said. “If they make too little, then we are basically setting them up to fail, and those are not good fits.
“But we also don’t want someone that makes enough to afford a traditional mortgage. That’s not our purpose, either. We just need a little in between.”
Brogdon said Habitat sells the house to the owner at zero-percent-interest mortgage, saving a ton of money over the life of the loan.
“In saving them the interest-rate experience, hopefully, it will allow them to provide for their families in other ways,” Brogdon said. “These families have to have a need. We aren’t going to build a house for a 20- to 22-year-old kid that is living at home with Mom and Dad.
“Typically, it is someone that is paying an extreme amount of rent, or they are living or renting a house that is in disrepair and needs a lot of work.”
For larger families, Brogdon said, Habitat tries to find the space so the kids can have their own rooms.
Brogdon has been part of Habitat for Humanity for several years, having served at two ReStore locations in Pulaski County.
“I actually grew up in Texas, and I lived there most of my life,” Brogdon said. “I moved to Hot Springs when I was a junior in high school, and I graduated from there.”
Carl Kraehmer, who serves as the bookkeeper at the ReStore in Little Rock, said Brogdon is “well-grounded and loves Habitat.”
“She is a very fine Christian woman, and that is one of the good parts of our relationship,” Kraehmer said. “We operate by the do-right rule. Any issues that need to be addressed, it is always the do-right rule.
“That’s the way it has always been.”
Kraehmer has known Brogdon for the better part of a decade since he began volunteering for Habitat in 2009. But it wasn’t until 3 1/2 years ago that he was hired full time.
“Our co-workers describe us as the ones to get here first and the last ones to leave, and that’s pretty much true,” Kraehmer said.
He said Brogdon is a hard worker and fair. “I know that her staff hated to see her leave,” he said.
“She is extremely organized, and she doesn’t procrastinate,” Kraehmer said. “She takes care of business head on and keeps on moving to the next thing.
“Her energy and her focus are going to do really well for Saline County.”
Brogdon, who graduated from Lake Hamilton High School in 1999, said her father has worked in retail her whole life, so the family did quite a bit of moving.
“We went wherever the job was,” Brogdon said. “When we moved to Arkansas, my dad (Larry) went to work for Habitat for Humanity of Garland County.
“That’s how I got into the Habitat world. It is good to have connections sometimes.”
Brogdon previously worked for the ReStore in Pulaski County in North Little Rock for 10 years, starting as an assistant manager before moving up to manager. She moved to Washington state for six months before returning to Arkansas in 2011.
“At that time, Pulaski County was looking to open their second ReStore in Little Rock. My boss at the time said, ‘Come back if you want to, and help start the second location,’” Brogdon said.
She said her new position with the nonprofit has been a blessing.
“I live in Benton and have for 12 years,” Brogdon said. “And I have been commuting back and forth all this time. [This job] cuts down on my driving and keeps me at home.
“It is nice to gain an hour of my life back every day.”
Brogdon said she was excited to get out of retail.
“Most of the time, when you are managing a thrift store, you are stuck in the store,” Brogdon said. “But with this new role, I have the chance to get more partners and build more houses.
“That way, the community sees the impact we are having, and once they see it, it will be easier for donors to give because they are seeing the results and that lives are changed through the process.”
Those interested in volunteering at Habitat can call (501) 315-5434 or email Hollie Hughes at hollie@habitatsalinecountyar.org.
Staff writer Sam Pierce can be reached at (501) 244-4314 or spierce@arkansasonline.com.