Every Message Becomes Part of Home.
On July 14, San Gabriel Valley Habitat for Humanity gathered with homeowner Edna, staff, partners, and supporters for a Wall Signing Ceremony at her future home on West Mendocino Street in Altadena. The event marked another important milestone in the rebuilding process and celebrated one of Habitat’s most meaningful traditions.
Edna’s home is one of several being rebuilt by trusted contractor partner DSW as part of SGV Habitat’s Eaton Fire Recovery Rebuild Program. By partnering with experienced builders, SGV Habitat is able to help more families rebuild and return home sooner while continuing to provide the guidance and support that define the Habitat experience.
Although contractor partners complete the construction, SGV Habitat ensures every homeowner still experiences the traditions that make Habitat unique.
Dating back to the 1970s, Habitat’s Wall Signing tradition invites volunteers, supporters, partners, family members, and friends to write messages of hope, encouragement, and love directly onto a home’s framing before the drywall is installed. On volunteer-built homes, these messages accumulate over months of construction. At contractor-built homes, a dedicated wall signing creates the same lasting connection between homeowners and the community standing beside them.
At SGV Habitat, we often say we’re more than a builder—we’re a partner. That partnership extends beyond construction to walking alongside families throughout the rebuilding journey, celebrating milestones, and creating moments that remind homeowners they are not rebuilding alone.
During the ceremony, Edna was presented with her own Habitat hard hat before joining guests in filling the walls of her future home with handwritten messages that will remain part of the house for generations to come.
She also shared the remarkable history of the property. The original home was built in 1926, and when construction is complete, her new home will be finished exactly 100 years later—a century after the first home welcomed her family.
Every home has a story. Before drywall covers the framing, those stories are joined by hundreds of handwritten messages of hope, encouragement, and love. Long after the walls are closed, those words remain—a hidden reminder that an entire community helped make home possible again.
