On Tuesday afternoon, Macon Milledgeville Regional Habitat for Humanity will gather at a home under construction at 2247 Leo Court to take a look back at the progress made on the street over the past 25 years.

This week Macon Milledgeville Regional Habitat for Humanity celebrates Habitat Week 2026. As we celebrate 40 years of local Habitat service, we’re taking a moment to look back at the homes, families and volunteers who have helped shape our community. The drop in event will include an opportunity to visit with Dr. John Sallstrom, founder of the original Milledgeville-Baldwin County Habitat for Humanity affiliate, and former executive directors Harold Tessendorf, Murali Thirumal, and Amy Raburn, along with past board members and Habitat homeowners.

“The Leo Court area is home to over half of the Habitat families in Milledgeville,” says Ivey Hall, Executive Director of Macon Milledgeville Regional Habitat for Humanity. “With the help of local volunteers, donors, homeowners and the support of local leaders, Leo Court looks a lot different than it did 25 years ago when the plan for the road was first submitted for approval. Years of love and dedication have transformed the street into a neighborhood that has supported the growth of families through homeownership opportunities. As we welcome the last Habitat family to the neighborhood, we want to say thank you to everyone who made it possible.”  

The community and media are invited to join us at 2247 Leo Court from 2:00-3:30pm.  

At Tuesday’s event, MMR Habitat will announce a new award to recognize local leaders in the advancement of housing initiatives in our community. The Harold Tessendorf Housing Impact Award was created in honor of Harold Tessendorf who led two Habitat for Humanity affiliates in Macon and Milledgeville for more than 20 years. Harold also has significant humanitarian leadership experience from South Africa’s democratic transition from the apartheid in the 1990s and now leads social enterprise projects in South Africa, Mozambique, Sierra Leone, Haiti and the United States.

This Impact Award is bestowed to recognize the dedication and achievement of those who have been instrumental in the work to advance access to safe, affordable, quality housing for all families in Macon-Bibb County, Jones County or Milledgeville-Baldwin County through work with organizations such as local Habitat for Humanity affiliates or other housing initiatives.

Annually, MMR Habitat will identify the honoree of the Harold Tessendorf Impact Award. The honoree(s) will be recognized during Habitat Week, and the honoree(s) will be recognized with a plaque and the opportunity to recommend a grant to a local nonprofit working to support access to housing in the focus communities. More information about the Tessendorf Housing Impact Award can be found at mmrhabitat.org/tessendorfimpactfund.