HABITAT FOR HUMANITY: Plans for next project are underway

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June 3, 2008

By Nicole Coleman<br><a href="mailto:colemann@gnnewspaper.com">E-mail Nicole</a> The Journal-Register Tue Jun 03, 2008, 01:10 PM EDT

When volunteers step up to the plate with the Orleans County Habitat for Humanity, they never know just how far the journey will take them.

Their hearts may be in the right place, but their experience with building a house is usually little to none.

Many arrive not knowing how to use a hammer, says President Dave Miller. Within a short time they are keeping up with the experts, putting up walls and nailing in floorboards — skills they never dreamed they could possess.

All it takes is a Saturday — 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. — once a week throughout the summer and fall.

“They guide you and teach you. ... I found it fascinating how a house is put together. You’re always learning new things,” said Medina resident Maureen Hungerford. She began volunteering three years ago and never looked back. Today she is a board member and volunteer coordinator, despite a full-time job. “It’s amazing how you get roped in,” she joked.

Miller’s involvement with the local Habitat for Humanity branch blossomed the same way. He began volunteering when house 11 in the county was first taking shape two years ago. By the time it was completed last fall, he was well on his way to becoming board president.

Now they are gearing up for Habitat’s newest project — house 12. The design calls for a single story, 1,000-square-foot, three-bedroom home on a vacant State Street parcel in the Village of Albion donated several years ago.

The process to identify potential homeowners was a lengthy one involving multiple applications and interviews. Choosing this year’s homeowner was a particularly difficult decision because two families were final qualifiers, Hungerford said.

The selection committee eventually chose Jesse Downey, the single father of a 7-year-old son and a 4-year-old daughter. In return, he has committed to work 300 hours alongside the site volunteers.

The last homeowner chosen, Stephanie Brownell, single mother to a son and two daughters, now has a home of her own on Crimson Drive in Albion.

“They have to be able to financially afford the mortgage,” Miller said of the families selected. “We usually identify a mentor to work with the family.”

Homeowners are also chosen based on where the home will be built. The families are usually struggling as it is, Miller said. Adding an unnecessary commute would only add to that.

“We build the homes close to where the family works and lives,” he said.

Payment for the supplies, equipment and occasional expert necessary to build the house — a grand total of $60,000, not including land acquisition costs — is provided through donations, fundraisers, grants and the mortgage payments from previous Habitat families, Miller said. The Curtis Foundation of Orleans County provides funding, as well.

Whirlpool and the Medina Presbyterian Church purchase the core appliances — a washer and dryer, stove and refrigerator.

When possible, the future homeowner is able to pick out colors for the carpets, countertops and siding, Hungerford said. The walls are usually left a neutral color, allowing the new occupants to decorate as they wish. Donations will determine whether a front and back deck are completed.

The best part of the project is working alongside the homeowner, Miller said. It is always encouraging to see the community work together with a common goal — kind of like an old-fashioned barn raising, he said.

“You see the excitement as the home moves along,” Hungerford agreed. “You can’t help but get attached to the family.”

Contact reporter Nicole Colemanat 798-1400, ext. 8227.

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