Habitat Builds 48th Home

Mady Gray, 12, reaches up as far as she can Saturday while painting the trim on the storage shed next to a new house built by Habitat for Humanity of Washington County at 100 Terry Ave. in Springdale. About a dozen student volunteers helped with the house after researching the organization for a school project. Mady said she chose Habitat for Humanity because it “benefits people around the world.” The house’s dedication ceremony is scheduled for 2 p.m. today.

Mady Gray, 12, reaches up as far as she can Saturday while painting the trim on the storage shed next to a new house built by Habitat for Humanity of Washington County at 100 Terry Ave. in Springdale. About a dozen student volunteers helped with the house after researching the organization for a school project. Mady said she chose Habitat for Humanity because it “benefits people around the world.” The house’s dedication ceremony is scheduled for 2 p.m. today.

Sunday, December 9, 2012

— Six months ago, Casey Burd and her two kids were lying in a vacant lot of fresh sod, staring at the stars.

“We were talking about what color we wanted our house to be,” Burd said. “At that time, we were renting and my kids were sharing a room.”

Since then, the single mom and her children, Katherine Stewart, 12, and Isaac Houston, 7, have been working alongside Habitat for Humanity volunteers to transform the empty Springdale lot into a place they now call home.

“She’s been working toward this for two years,” said Michelle Davis, Habitat for Humanity spokeswoman. “She’s been out there every Saturday since June.”

Habitat for Humanity is a home-ownership program for extremely low-income families.

At least 300 hours of labor must be completed by families before they qualify for a home.

Davis said families living in substandard housing, which includes overcrowded or unhealthy conditions, qualify for the program.

Burd, 37, said she applied for a new home to create a solid foundation for her family.

“I’m going to school full time and working,” she said. “With two kids, it felt like I was treading water with a hole in my boat.”

Davis said volunteers from churches, the University of Arkansas and the Springdale Fire Department helped build Burd’s home on the corner of Terry Avenue. About 20 seventh-graders from Holt Middle School helped clean the home Saturday in preparation for a dedication ceremony today.

“We’ve been painting, laying down grass, cleaning windows and shoveling dirt,” said 12-year-old Miranda Howard.

Howard was among two classes of students that chose Habitat for Humanity as their charity project.

Penny Ezell, instructional facilitator, said the project started nine weeks ago when representatives from 17 nonprofit groups told students about the services and assistance they provide the community. Students asked questions, took notes and made a pitch for the charity of their choice.

“I chose Habitat because they help families that need homes,” said Kara Eckert. “It’s cold outside and people need a nice house for the holidays.”

Burd’s home was the 48th house built by Habitat for Humanity volunteers since the program started in 1991.

Davis said Habitat finished building two homes at the start of this year and has since built two more homes.

Money for the program, she said, fluctuates year-round and “could always be better.”

According to its website, Habitat accepts no government funding for construction, and some of its administrative costs are paid for by income from the organization’s ReStore at 1421 E. 15th St. The discount home improvement center sells donated building material at reduced prices.

“Funding is always an issue,” Davis said. “We have four families working toward homes right now and we’re not sure how we’ll pay for them.”

Burd said she’s beyond grateful for her new home and her kids are excited to have their own rooms.

“To see it go from grass to house has been amazing,” she said. “I’ve always believed in giving and to see everyone come together like this means a lot.”

At A Glance

Habitat For Humanity

Habitat for Humanity of Washington County is an affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International. It was established in 1991. Since then 48 homes in Washington County have been built and financed by Habitat. For information on donation and volunteer opportunities, visit: http://www.habitatwashingtoncoar.org/index_files/HFHVolunteers.htm.

Source: Habitat for Humanity