Go Big and Go Home: The Fuller Center for Housing of Greater Atlanta’s Mission to Serve Local Families

Mark Murphy was retired. He was looking for ways to stay active and enjoy his free time. 

Then his hobby introduced him to a new calling.

“I retired in 2016, and I was already a cyclist,” Mark explained. “When a lot of cyclists retire, they think, ‘Now I have time to ride across Georgia or the United States.’ The year I retired, I rode across Georgia, and I was looking for more ways to do something meaningful and stay in shape.” 

When he attended a bike race, he heard about other cyclists biking for a good cause.

“I saw a bunch of guys wearing Fuller Center jerseys, and I thought, ‘What the heck is Fuller Center?’” he said.

As he chatted with the cyclists, he learned about cross-country cycling trips to raise money for the center to build homes. The more he heard, the more he loved the mission.

In 2005, Millard Fuller, founder and former president of Habitat for Humanity International, and his wife, Linda, formed The Fuller Center for Housing to continue serving housing-insecure families. 

Following the housing recession that began in 2007, the Greater Atlanta affiliate of The Fuller Center for Housing took advantage of half-built homes builders couldn’t finish. 

Banks needed the assets off their books and allowed The Fuller Center for Housing of Greater Atlanta to purchase the homes. The organization also purchased lots where they could build across the metro area. 

But in 2017, the organization was struggling. 

Because homes had been built all over metro Atlanta, it was hard for local communities and churches to resonate with projects outside their areas and communities. Without a committed base of support or target area of work, the organization needed someone to refine the vision and rally supporters.

As Mark learned more about the need, he decided to pause his retirement to become the Atlanta affiliate’s new president.

“My goal was to establish an infrastructure that’s sustainable,” Mark said. 

“I drew a 15-mile circle that goes over to Johns Creek, Cherokee County and almost to Gwinnett. This was where we were going to recruit churches who want to be a part of the ministry and where we’re going to get to know the politicians in the city governments.”

Under Mark’s leadership, The Fuller Center for Housing of Greater Atlanta launched Project Go Big, a ten-year initiative to build approximately 100 homes in Atlanta.

“Over the last three years, I’ve been raising money, finding land and building an infrastructure of skilled carpenters, electricians and plumbers,” he explained.

Mark hopes the new subdivisions the Fuller Center builds will serve who he calls “the hidden heroes.”

“These are the people who work hard but haven’t had the chance at home ownership. They’re just hoping to have a decent rental property,” he explained. 

“We want to find the hidden heroes in our communities — the ones who are keeping the doors open at the school, who are teachers’ aides or nurses’ aides — who aren’t making enough to afford a $350,000 house.”

By giving parents a strong foundation for success through homeownership, Mark hopes to see ripple effects in their children’s lives.

“I’ve met so many people who are doing the right thing, but things are just not working out for them,” Mark said. “I just want to take care of these people and their kids.

“Our hope is when we get to 100 homes, we’ll impact over 400 people, most of those being kids.” 

To make Project Go Big a reality, the Fuller Center doesn’t just need donors, churches and skilled workers. It also needs partners.

“When I met DePriest and some of the people at the Community Foundation for Northeast Georgia, it was a no-brainer for me [to open a fund] because we needed a place to put our money to grow as we continue to fundraise,” Mark shared.

“We’ll get a fair return on our money, and we get exposure and access to people that we probably wouldn’t have met before.”

Over the next ten years, Mark hopes to take an organization that was struggling to make a meaningful impact and turn it into one that leaves an indelible mark on metro Atlanta.

“We want to go to the people who are working hard but had no hope of ever owning a home and give that help and hope,” he said.

Click here to support Fuller Center for Housing for Greater Atlanta.