Habitat for Humanity relies heavily on volunteers in order to provide its services, and you don't have to be a skilled carpenter to help out.
Sam Tenney / The Citizen
Habitat for Humanity volunteer Bob Reohr removes a makeshift cabinet from a project site on Wadsworth Street on Wednesday evening.
Habitat for Humanity volunteer Bob Reohr removes a makeshift cabinet from a project site on Wadsworth Street on Wednesday evening.
“We're a small affiliate,” said Tina Barry, a retired school teacher and the president of the Cayuga County chapter. “We have no paid employees, just a working board and several committees.”
Barry said the committees are construction, family selection, family support, public relations, fundraising and volunteer. Help is needed and welcome in every facet of the organization, although construction is the one most people are familiar with. Families have to be selected to live in the properties, those families usually need many types of services, the organization needs to make the public aware of its work and needs, and the group has to solicit donations and discounts and buy materials for each project.
Families who are chosen to move in to one of the Habitat properties are not just given the homes. They are expected to contribute 500 hours fixing, building, painting, repairing or cleaning their future home. Habitat holds the mortgage and sells the home to the family at their cost to buy and renovate it at 0 percent interest over 20 years.
Barry said there are three criteria for becoming a Habitat home owner. 1. They must have a willingness to partner and to work on site. 2. They must meet income guidelines. 3. They must have a housing need.
The home currently in progress of being repaired is at 33 Wadsworth St. in Auburn, near the Aurelius Avenue bridge.
“We started work on this house in August,” Barry said. “It was donated to us by the estate of Robert Ross, along with some land across the street. This is not a major, down-to-the-studs project, but there is a lot of scraping, painting and cleaning. We expect to be finished by January.”
Nate Krause, one of the members of the construction committee, added, “It's always more than you originally think. We've got to run a lot of new wire and put up sheetrock.”
Barry said that the city of Auburn has plans to demolish a house across the street and develop some of the land into a scenic park along the Owasco River.
“When all the work is done, this whole neighborhood will benefit,” she said. “We consider this a real improvement.”
In addition to the work performed by volunteers, Habitat often contracts out big jobs, such as major roofing repairs or total house repainting. Because many of the volunteers have other contacts in the community, the organization is often able to obtain materials and work at discounts that help to keep the overall cost of the property affordable.
Since its founding in 1942 in Georgia, Habitat for Humanity has built or repaired more than 200,000 homes for families in need. The intent was to use the money from the repayment of renovated homes to continue to fix up new homes for new families. The organization continues to received strong support, but help is always needed in local communities.
“We've got a great construction committee,” Barry said. “Ten guys with skills and who know what they're doing. We'd like to encourage groups of people to come and help us, or maybe a local employer might send a group of their employees to help out.”
Barry said the committees are construction, family selection, family support, public relations, fundraising and volunteer. Help is needed and welcome in every facet of the organization, although construction is the one most people are familiar with. Families have to be selected to live in the properties, those families usually need many types of services, the organization needs to make the public aware of its work and needs, and the group has to solicit donations and discounts and buy materials for each project.
Families who are chosen to move in to one of the Habitat properties are not just given the homes. They are expected to contribute 500 hours fixing, building, painting, repairing or cleaning their future home. Habitat holds the mortgage and sells the home to the family at their cost to buy and renovate it at 0 percent interest over 20 years.
Barry said there are three criteria for becoming a Habitat home owner. 1. They must have a willingness to partner and to work on site. 2. They must meet income guidelines. 3. They must have a housing need.
The home currently in progress of being repaired is at 33 Wadsworth St. in Auburn, near the Aurelius Avenue bridge.
“We started work on this house in August,” Barry said. “It was donated to us by the estate of Robert Ross, along with some land across the street. This is not a major, down-to-the-studs project, but there is a lot of scraping, painting and cleaning. We expect to be finished by January.”
Nate Krause, one of the members of the construction committee, added, “It's always more than you originally think. We've got to run a lot of new wire and put up sheetrock.”
Barry said that the city of Auburn has plans to demolish a house across the street and develop some of the land into a scenic park along the Owasco River.
“When all the work is done, this whole neighborhood will benefit,” she said. “We consider this a real improvement.”
In addition to the work performed by volunteers, Habitat often contracts out big jobs, such as major roofing repairs or total house repainting. Because many of the volunteers have other contacts in the community, the organization is often able to obtain materials and work at discounts that help to keep the overall cost of the property affordable.
Since its founding in 1942 in Georgia, Habitat for Humanity has built or repaired more than 200,000 homes for families in need. The intent was to use the money from the repayment of renovated homes to continue to fix up new homes for new families. The organization continues to received strong support, but help is always needed in local communities.
“We've got a great construction committee,” Barry said. “Ten guys with skills and who know what they're doing. We'd like to encourage groups of people to come and help us, or maybe a local employer might send a group of their employees to help out.”
