By Monica Chen

mchen@heraldsun.com; 419-6636

DURHAM -- An immigrant family from Vietnam received a special gift this holiday season: A permanent home.

More than six years after immigrating to the U.S. and living in apartments while they tried to find work and went to school, Del Rahlan and his wife, Hplih Ksor, as well as their two young children, moved into three-bedroom home this week in the Lyon Park neighborhood in Durham.

The move, just in time for Christmas, is thanks in part to Habitat for Humanity and Cree Inc., an LED maker based in Durham, who partnered together on the home to provide funding, manpower during construction as well as energy-efficient lighting throughout the house.

The house for Rahlan and Ksor is the first Habitat house to be completely lit with Cree's LED (light-emitting diode) fixtures, including outdoor lights.

Mitzi Viola, director of development at Habitat, said the partnership with Cree was a welcome surprise.

"We expected to hear, 'We'll sponsor a house,' and we didn't expect this," she said. "We see this as sheer generosity for the company to give those lights." 

The lighting is expected to save about $250 in electricity costs annually.

The new home is part of Cree's previously announced three-year, $1.5 million pledge to provide its high-efficiency LED downlights for all new Habitat homes built in the U.S. Cree also sponsored the Durham house in particular and the company's employees volunteered during construction.

Greg Merritt, vice president of marketing at Cree, said that in conversations with Habitat, they explored partnerships with the Durham organization to benefit families.

"We found a bit of a home run," he said. The house will also be a good showcase of LEDs, Merritt added.

"One of the biggest challenges we face with LEDs is making more people aware of the technology, for use in homes and businesses, and the magnitude of the benefits," he said.

For the Rahlan-Ksors, the three-bedroom house is an upgrade from the one-bedroom apartment they had before that cost more than $600 in rent. The monthly expense for the house -- mortgage plus insurance -- is about $425.

Del Rahlan immigrated to the U.S. in 2005 with help from the Lutheran Family Services, an organization with offices in Charlotte and Raleigh that helps refugees escape religious persecution.

With the help of his sponors at Triangle Presbyterian Church in Durham, Rahlan has been taking English classes at Durham Technical Community College and found a job with American Party Rentals.

The new house will have enough room for his two young children, who now each have their own bedroom.

"The apartment is small. I really like this," Rahlan said. "I really like this big house, nice yard."

The Rahlan-Ksors also put in sweat equity in the house by helping out on other Habitat projects and working in the construction of their own home.

"Really, the gift to the family is opportunity." Viola said. "It brings people to the middle class and that's a tremendous opportunity."

Habitat says on its website that there are countless ways to help families like the Rahlan-Ksors.

You can give an alternative gift.

For a minimum gift of $10 per gift card, Habitat sends a holiday card to a loved one or friend telling them of the gift given in their honor. With Habitat of Durham's Alternative Giving program, your gift gives twice -- once to the honoree and once to Habitat.

Habitat's primary needs are money and land. Habitat also gladly accepts online contributions, building materials, matching gifts, stock gifts, durable goods, donations by mail and phone, among others. Visit the organizations website at http://www.durhamhabitat.org/donate for information.