Since 1986, Lancaster Lebanon Habitat for Humanity has brought people together to build homes, communities, and hope. Our new 40th anniversary mural brings that story to life at the Lancaster Habitat ReStore.
The colorful 48-foot-by-17-foot mural is a tribute to people, places and moments that have shaped Habitat’s 40-year history in Lancaster and Lebanon counties. It was created in partnership with local artists Steve Wilson and Brenda Blank and sponsored by Joe, Jake, David, and Emily Deerin.
The mural is full of Habitat iconography, local landmarks, and references to everyone who makes our mission possible from future homeowners, volunteers, donors, ReStore shoppers, community partners, staff, board members, and supporters.
“Habitat’s mission is great because it brings people together,” said artist Steve Wilson. “When you apply to be a Habitat homebuyer you have to put some skin in the game and we tried to convey the steps in the process throughout the mural.”
The mural also acts as a visual representation of the steps along the journey to Habitat homeownership. Each step of the process is illustrated with a scene placed on a green ellipse throughout the mural, from a family being accepted into the program, to putting in their sweat equity, to settling on, and finally moving into, their own home.
“People shopping in the ReStore will be able to see the (Habitat homebuying) process explained visually,” said artist Brenda Blank. “It was really helpful for me to see the whole process as we were painting the mural.”
Celebrating 40 Years Together
On August 27, members of the Habitat community gathered at the Lancaster Habitat ReStore to officially unveil and dedicate the mural.
Lancaster Mayor Jaime Arroyo reflected on Lancaster’s tradition of building, its culture of art, and the importance of organizations like Habitat as families continue to face housing challenges.
Habitat board member Carolyn Haskell also spoke about those challenges and the people who choose to take action.
“The people who volunteer, give, and shop with Habitat may be modest, but we are also optimists and people of action. We believe that the best of humanity comes from kindness, compassion, and the generosity of our efforts. Together, we overcome great challenges.”
The celebration also offered a chance to remember where Habitat began. Co-founder Jake Toews reflected on the group of Highland Presbyterian Church members who, 40 years ago, set out to find a way to make a positive impact in their community and helped bring Habitat for Humanity to Lancaster.
“I want to personally thank the past Board members and staff who have shepherded this organization through these 40 years. We are blessed with a lot of wonderful people involved in this organization!” Toews said.
Forty years later, that community has grown to include thousands of people who have helped build homes, support families, and strengthen neighborhoods across Lancaster and Lebanon counties.
The mural now stands as a permanent reminder of what can happen when a community comes together. It celebrates where we have been, the people who helped us get here, and the work still ahead.
WATCH FOX43’S COVERAGE OF OUR 40TH ANNIVERSARY MURAL CELEBRATION
The Making of the Mural
How did the 40th anniversary mural go from the drawing board to the ReStore wall?
The entire process took about 200 hours. It began with some brainstorming sessions between Habitat staff and supporters and Steve Wilson. Once a concept was agreed on, Wilson took the idea to his cartoonist fried Bob Hammer, who helped create the simple, cartoon-like figures and buildings that would illustrate the Habitat story.
Wilson then took the concept drawing and moved it into the Abode Illustrator program where he could manipulate it to fit the actual size of the wall. He made large prints of sections of the mural and attached them to the ReStore wall like wallpaper. Once everything was level and plumb, Wilson and Blank climbed up the 20-foot scaffolding and attached carbon paper to the wall and, using graphite pencils, began tracing the design onto the wall. From there they began adding colors and finished it all up by adding black outlines around all the figures.
The mural also includes several fun “Easter Eggs,” that some Habitat volunteers, supporters, and ReStore shoppers may recognize like the Wooden Nickel – Habitat’s first headquarters – and even the ReStore’s favorite frame filler Nicolas Cage.