The Oklahoma Eagle Newswire
TULSA HABITAT DEDICATES A HOME FOR AMAZING EMEKA
ONEOK, ONE Gas and other community partners come together to build a home for the motivational speaker and Ellen DeGeneres guest
HOME DEDICATION
Emeka Nnaka
November 21, 2019
9:00 A.M.
2321 E. 4th St., Tulsa, OK
Tulsa, Okla. ─ After months of construction, it’s time for Emeka Nnaka to move into his new home. This build by Tulsa’s Habitat for Humanity and ONEOK, ONE Gas and numerous others who rallied to deliver it in time for Thanksgiving.
Tulsa Habitat for Humanity CEO, Cameron Walker, shares, “This is a special build that really brought a lot of the community together. We’ve had numerous sponsors come to us with an interest in supporting Emeka.”
ONEOK and ONE Gas are both longtime Tulsa Habitat supporters, having contributed to the organization for over ten years. Volunteers from both ONEOK and ONE Gas participated in the construction of the home, in addition to Tulsa Habitat staff and volunteers.
A decade ago, a collision during a play on the field as a semi-pro football player for Oklahoma Thunder, left Nnaka paralyzed from the chest down. Since then he has shared his story and inspiration with others and his career as a motivational speaker really took off after an appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show.
This is the first time Nnaka has lived in a space designed especially for him.
Walker explains, “It was really a great opportunity to explore the latest features that provide even more accessibility and function to a home. We wanted to make sure it will serve his needs for years to come.”
The 1,815 sq. ft. home is designed as a blend of farmhouse and craftsman styles with three bedrooms, two bathrooms and a two-car garage. The Kendall-Whittier neighborhood it sits in connects Nnaka to downtown, his workplace and the adaptive gym he visits regularly.
“The thing I’m most excited about is being able to have people over. It’s hard when my apartment was super tiny and couldn’t get people in. Or trying to go to other people’s houses, and people live on the second floor.”
The home has a no step front entry, an extra wide garage for better vehicle access, lever sets on the interior doors, wide hallways, open wall shelving in the kitchen, roll in showers in the master suite and guest bathroom, a ceiling-mounted hoist system designed for his needs, accessible plumbing fixtures by Ferguson, and easy maintenance landscaping by The Gathering Place. Cox Homelife supplied the whole house with smart home and security technology.
Nnaka recently lost his apartment to a fire, he shares “What Habitat is able to do for individuals that can’t afford to get a house, and making it affordable, I think you are getting people to dream again. The American dream that people don’t dream that dream anymore. And you are actually giving people hope again.”
About Tulsa Habitat for Humanity
Tulsa Habitat for Humanity is a 501(3)(c) nonprofit organization dedicated to building quality, affordable housing in partnership with those in need in the Tulsa area. Tulsa Habitat for humanity does not give away homes; rather, it partners with hardworking Tulsa families to provide an alternative path to homeownership. Through taking classes on money management and home maintenance and through completing “sweat equity” hours, Habitat families can receive an affordable, fixed-rate mortgage. Tulsa Habitat for Humanity recently celebrated its 30th year in the community. Since its inception, Tulsa Habitat has housed more than 425 families. For more information, visit tulsahabitat.org or contact thorn@tulsahabitat.org .
About ONEOK
A leading midstream service provider and owner of one of the nation’s premier natural gas liquids systems. They connect an extensive network of natural gas gathering, processing, storage and transportation needs in North America, providing customers with premium service. With headquarters in Tulsa, they are a FORTUNE 500 company and included in the S&P 500. They are committed to safe and environmentally responsible operations and giving back to their communities. To learn more, visit oneok.com.
About ONE Gas
ONE Gas provides natural gas distribution services to more than 2 million customers in Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas. Headquartered in Tulsa, OK it provides residential, commercial, industrial, transportation and wholesale customers. Their responsibilities to operate safely, efficiently and environmentally responsible guide their operations and create value. To learn more, visit onegas.com
