Key Points

• Marathon Petroleum is helping expand access to affordable homeownership for families in Findlay, Ohio, through its partnership with Habitat for Humanity.

• The company is fully funding Home #72, giving Miranda Phillips and her family the opportunity to build a safer, more stable future.

• Marathon employees and leaders attended the August wall-raising ceremony and will continue working alongside the Phillips family to help build the home.

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The first walls are up, and Home #72 is already becoming much more than a house. For Miranda Phillips and her three younger children, it is the beginning of a safe, secure and affordable place where they can feel at home.

Marathon Petroleum is funding the home as part of Habitat for Humanity of Findlay/Hancock County’s latest build in the Krystal Ridge Addition. At the Aug. 4 Raise the Wall ceremony, Phillips worked alongside Marathon employee volunteers and company leaders to lift the first walls into place as two other Habitat homes also began taking shape that evening.

“I was shocked,” Phillips said after learning that her family had been selected for a Habitat home. “It meant I could finally have a home I could afford, more space and a yard for all the kids to play in.”

Phillips works full time as a medical assistant and currently shares a small two-bedroom apartment with her three younger children. With rent continuing to rise, finding a larger, more comfortable place felt increasingly out of reach, and owning a home seemed like a distant dream.

“I’m so excited to build my own home with all the volunteers I’ve already met and will meet along the way,” she said. “I’m looking forward to being able to say ‘I helped build my very own house.’”

The home will give her younger children a safe place to grow and provide room for her oldest daughter and two grandchildren to visit. More than anything, it will be a place where the family can spend time together and create lasting memories.

“I can’t thank everyone enough for helping make our dream come true,” Phillips said. “I will forever be grateful to each and every one of you.”

The ceremony drew a strong turnout from across the community, including many Marathon Petroleum employees and Chief Human Resources Officer and Senior Vice President of Communications Marlon Sullivan.

“A home is more than walls and a roof. It’s a foundation that allows kids to dream big and parents to build for a brighter future,” Sullivan said. “Standing here alongside the families, our employees and everyone making this possible shows what can happen when a community comes together, while giving Marathon an opportunity to put our core values into action.”

Sullivan also reflected on a lesson he learned at a very young age while growing up in rural southeast Louisiana about the value of giving back through time, talent or resources.

“Time is a generous gift,” he told the volunteers. “The fact that you’re here today and may return in the weeks to come is a powerful example of how your dedication makes a difference.”

Projects like this do not require a particular skill, Sullivan added, only a willingness to show up, lend a hand and be part of something bigger.

“Seeing these homes come together demonstrates what organizations and the community can accomplish when they work together to create lasting opportunities for families,” he said.

Warren Long, executive director of Habitat for Humanity of Findlay/Hancock County, said the collaboration helps move Habitat’s mission forward for even more local families.

“This is such a great example of why I am thankful to be part of this community,” Long said. “From the Habitat team to companies like Marathon Petroleum and the many volunteers giving their time, together we are building not just a home, but a brighter future.”

For Home #72, raising the first walls was only the beginning. In the weeks ahead, Marathon employees will continue working alongside Habitat and the Phillips family, with completion expected in October.