Last May, 1607 and 1609 Prospect Ave. in Willow Grove was nothing more than patches of crab grass, gravel and debris.

On Jan. 11, at 3 p.m., the ribbon was cut at the grand opening of a beautiful two-story duplex, complete with a new driveway and backyard that any family would enjoy to spend some time.

The ribbon cutting marked the 58^th housing property of the Willow Grove Community Development Corporation (WGCDC). 

The WGCDC, a nonprofit organization based in the Upper Moreland side of Willow Grove, provides these rental housing units as affordable housing for low-income families under market value, and also provides other free financial services.

With its 58^th housing property, the WGCDC now has 37 rental properties, in which 165 individuals can call home.

“By the grace of God, I got what I got,” Roslyn McCoy said. She is the resident of 1609 Prospect Ave., which is located in the Abington side of Willow Grove.

McCoy described the WGCDC as the work of providence, and is grateful for her family’s new home.

To further express this gratitude, in the minutes before the ribbon cutting ceremony, McCoy took a moment with her pastor, Rev. Jerome Coleman of the First Baptist Church of Cresmont, to give thanks.

“We pray this home would be a place of joy, of family, of strength and a place of memories,” Coleman said.

During the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Coleman praised the volunteer efforts of organizations like the WGCDC.

“This is a testimony of people coming together,” Coleman said.

He added that neighbors in a community have a responsibility, “To help those not looking for a handout, but a hand up.”

The ribbon cutting ceremony was attended by several WGCDC board of directors and administrators, as well as Abington township officials and those involved with the duplex construction.

“There are so many people in this township that has helped,” Henry Jacquelin, WGCDC president, said during the ceremony’s opening remarks. “This unit right here is the 24^th in Abington.”

According to Jacquelin, the very first WGCDC housing unit was constructed in Dec. 1991, just a two blocks away from its newest unit.

Both units are located in Abington’s Ward 5. The ward’s commissioner, Wayne Luker, attended the Jan. 11 ribbon-cutting ceremony, as well as the May 5 groundbreaking event.

“To transform a vacant lot to what you see here is phenomenal,” Luker said.

After the ceremony, McCoy invited all the participants to a grand tour, as guests in her home.

“You see how happy she is,” Luker said. “I hope to work with the township and the CDC soon to make other dreams come true.”