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No Comments [ Add Comment ]Habitatual Work
By Sam CooperHabitat for Humanity volunteers working to provide needed homes
OGDEN -- Dozens of volunteers with paint brushes and rollers converged on two downtown houses this week to help provide low-income local families with a place to call their own.
The Habitat for Humanity project at 127 Doxey St. has been in the works for two years now, and with one of the homes nearing completion, volunteers got busy spreading thick white paint on interior walls.
"We're here to help low-income families that currently aren't in a home of their own because they couldn't afford to get into the housing market," said Carolyn Somer, a member of the Habitat for Humanity volunteer committee.
The non-profit group partners with needy families to refurbish dilapidated homes. Then it provides a low-interest, no-down-payment, mortgage. The homes are usually sold to the families for about half their market value, Somer said.
"It's very doable for a low-income family," she said.
Future homeowners are carefully screened and partner with volunteers as work progresses, earning what organizers call "sweat equity," Somer said.
But the family slated for this home recently backed out.
"We had someone for this home, but her situation has changed and she's no longer interested," Somer said.
With 14 current applications from perspective residents, she said she wasn't sure who would get the house.
"This is a new problem for us, so we'll find out," Somer said.
Regardless of who lives there, volunteers were all smiles as they stretched and reached to paint every nook and cranny.
More than a dozen employees of Citi, a banking firm, swarmed the home Wednesday as part of the company's volunteer day.
"We've been involved with Habitat for Humanity for a number of years now," said Heidi Toone, Citi community relations state director. "We think it's important to be involved, making sure our community members have healthy, happy places to live and work."
"It's fun. This is awesome that we can volunteer to give someone a home and help them," said Citi employee Kara Hutchinson.
Each year, every Citi employee gets a paid day off to volunteer for a nonprofit of their choosing, and Habitat for Humanity has long been a favorite, Toone said.
Volunteers coming together are what makes the program possible, organizers said.
"We've had hundreds of volunteers. In fact, most of the work done here has been by volunteers," said Teresa Hatch, adding that more help is always appreciated.
The two homes were purchased as a package from Ogden city.
In the spring of 2006, Habitat for Humanity finished a Layton home at 769 Cowley St. for a schoolteacher and her six children.
"She's just been so appreciative," Somer said.
"She continues to send us updates on the anniversary of her being there and on Christmas. It's really made a big difference for her and her children. They were living in a two-bedroom mobile home."
The Doxey Street projects are the fifth and sixth homes the nonprofit group has completed in Weber and Davis counties.
"Our hope is -- we sort of alternate between Weber and Davis counties -- we're looking for our next property to be in the Davis County area," Somer said.
For more information on projects in your area or how to get involved with Habitat for Humanity, log onto www.habitat.org.
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