Take care of yourself.

Take care of your neighbor.

Find light where you can.

Last week we celebrated the first Habitat homeowners moving into Timber Ridge Village.  That night on my way home from the gym, driving down Vail’s Frontage Road my eyes caught on the windows with twinkling lights at the new Timber Ridge Village. It made me extraordinarily happy to see that the lights are on in Vail because of, with and for locals. I’m proud that Habitat Vail Valley had a part in retaining community in Vail.

It was no easy feat getting to get the lights on at Timber Ridge. It required organizations partnering, collaborating and committing to build Timber Ridge. We were determined to solve the question, ‘What’s in the best interest of the community? How do we bring and keep locals in Vail?’ It took so many meetings and a few years so that locals can unlock their front doors and see straight through the windows to the mountain.

The partners — Habitat Vail Valley, Triumph Development, Eagle County and the Town of Vail — were flexible, like minded and in alignment to embrace a new vision, with the goal for Timber Ridge’s redevelopment as a place where locals live. We relentlessly pursued this one goal to turn on our lights in Vail, to have locals living once again in Vail. I am beyond thrilled.

I truly believe this type of partnership and building is unprecedented in the country. Everyone loves the magic of ski towns but they are notorious for being crazy expensive places to live. But it’s the locals who make the magic.

A lot of locals lived in the old Timber Ridge. It may have been well worn but it was loved and created relationships and memories that live on. We knew we would have to replace that Timber Ridge with something better, but just as iconic.

There were a lot of conversations over coffee, breakfasts and at town hall. All of the partners kept a solutions-based mentality. There was a shared willingness, trust and communication to work within each of the organizations’ framework and boundaries, keeping in mind what was overall best for the project and the community. We all bent a little in pursuit of the common goal but stayed true to our organization’s values.

There was a lot of lip service to solving in partnership and we did it! Every time there was a bump in the road, we problem solved together in pursuit of achieving the giant goal of local housing. I’m so proud and I think I can speak for the other partners when I say everyone is proud of this accomplishment.

Thirty new Habitat homeowners will be buying their Timber Ridge homes. They will live in Vail, visit the restaurants, go to the grocery, build friendships and careers. It took leadership, bravery and the willingness to try something different. The end result is lights on for our locals.

Connect with your community. Find light where you can, I’m finding it with our partnerships that helped build the light at Timber Ridge.

Elyse Howard is the VP of Philanthropy and Community Affairs at Habitat for Humanity Vail Valley. Habitat is building to 200 over the next three years — learn more at www.habitatvailvalley.org.