Habitat for Humanity has been working to build three new single-family
homes since April on 89th Avenue North near West Broadway in Brooklyn
Park.
Now, four months after the concrete was poured, the
nonprofit has opened up the site for community volunteers to help
finish the homes by October.
I joined a group of about 15 people
who live or work in Brooklyn Park last week to work side-by-side with
the future owners of one of the homes.
Abdusamed Ahmed and his wife Nasima Basam came to the Twin Cities from
Ethiopia. They have lived in area since 2000 with their three children,
Adil, 6; Salim, 5; Huda, 3; and cousin, Warda.
Like all Habitat
homeowners, the couple has contributed hundreds of "sweat equity" hours
as part of the requirements for receiving a home.
When I asked Basam if she would be at the build site throughout the week, she answered simply, "It's my home."
That
short sentence really had an impact on me. It illustrated the mission
of Habitat and the value of the hard work all the volunteers
contributed that day.
Habitat provides an opportunity for those
who make less than 50 percent of the area's median income an
opportunity to own a home.
The organization relies on volunteer labor and tax-deductible contributions to build simple, yet decent, homes.
As
the other volunteers and I worked to transform bare framework into
actual walls by installing sheetrock, I couldn't help but think how
uplifting it must feel to see people you've never met before give up
their time to help you become a homeowner.
On any given day during the peak construction period, more than 270 volunteers are working on up to 20 homes in the Twin Cities.
But, according to Sharon Rolenc, Twin Cities Habitat spokeswoman, there is always a need for more help.
"The current housing economy has definitely demonstrated a need for affordable housing," she said.
Most
people are familiar with the construction volunteer opportunities, and
swinging a hammer is definitely the most tangible opportunity, Rolenc
said.
However, there are many other needs that are suited to a
wide range of skill sets - from cookie baking to professional
contractor service donations, she said.
To find out how you can
help fulfill affordable homeownership dreams like that of Ahmed and
Basam in Brooklyn Park, and the Twin Cities metro, visit www.tchabitat.org.
Natalie Spray is the community editor of the Brooklyn Park Sun-Post.
"The current housing economy has definitely demonstrated a need for affordable housing," she said.
Most
people are familiar with the construction volunteer opportunities, and
swinging a hammer is definitely the most tangible opportunity, Rolenc
said.
However, there are many other needs that are suited to a
wide range of skill sets - from cookie baking to professional
contractor service donations, she said.
To find out how you can
help fulfill affordable homeownership dreams like that of Ahmed and
Basam in Brooklyn Park, and the Twin Cities metro, visit www.tchabitat.org.
Natalie Spray
Sun Newspapers
September 3, 2008
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