Our Roanoke Trip, Spring 2011

The photo on the left is our first week's crew. Our total team was comprised of: Seth, Ted, JoEllen and Tom, Joanne, Dave, Peg and Ron, Claude, George, Marsha and Barry, Don, Peter, Debbie and Eric. In the parking lot of Campbell Memorial Presbyterian Church we had an RV, an A-Liner camper and Johnny's Camper/Van. Inside various rooms were full of air mattresses, sleeping bags and assorted other gear.

We worked with Habitat for Humanity in the Roanoke Valley. They have their offices, Re-Store, equipment and supplies in a four-story building near center city Roanoke. This is truly an exceptionally organized and well-run affiliate, staffed with not only talented and competent but committed Habitat people. They were a joy to work for. HFHRV has been averaging 9-12 houses a year for the last several years and have already house 167 families.

Our NYS-fits+ team worked on their latest home, 1311 Salem Avenue in the Hurt Park area of the city, where Habitat has been given 11 homes to rehab. This residence will become home to a 10-member family from Burundi, several of whom we met on the Saturday between our two weeks.

The challenge we faced was to make the necessary structural repairs so that the wiring, plumbing and sheet rocking could begin. To that end we mixed and poured a cement pad in the basement for one of several new piers, strengthened and braced beams and joists on each ceiling prior to jacking up, supporting and leveling all three floors, added new headers and re-framed all the windows, removed and replaced a porch floor and walls, made changes in the attic for additional head-room near the three dormers and erected knee-walls around the dormers and roof to facilitate the conversion of attic to three rooms. For two weeks in teams of twos and threes we nailed, screwed, hammered and "sawz-alled" our way around the house. Usually we worked alone, but on Wednesdays we shared the prep work with teams of local volunteers from the "Home Builders" association.

We showered daily at the local YMCA on our way home. This new "Y" had plenty of parking but more importantly gallons upon gallons of hot water -- almost as refreshing as the daily beer.

New Spring Project: Roanoke Habitat for Humanity

Because Greater Charlottesville Habitat had an opportunity to become an even "greener" project, they were experiencing delays in obtaining necessary permits, and they could not guarantee that we would be able to help with construction on our agreed upon dates. So now we are going to Roanoke, VA, and working the same weeks for the local Habitat for Humanity project there -- March 28th to April 1st; April 4th - 8th.

Our hosts will be the Campbell Memorial Presbyterian Church, 1130 Church Road, Vinton, VA, 24179 (just east of Roanoke). Their new minister, Rev. James (Jamie) Smith has been on the job about three weeks. Church phone: (540) 343-1842.

Roanoke YMCA will be providing a place for showering, 520 Church Avenue South West Roanoke, 24016. There will be a small cost to non-YMCA members, but they do provide towels. The YMCA phone: (540) 342-9622.

George and Joanne will be back in the kitchen, and we will be assessing ourselves the usual $50 a week for food. We are expecting great things from them, because they will be working in a fairly new kitchen. Please send JoEllen your food money as soon as you can.

Charlottesville, VA, Spring 2011

In late March and early April, we will be going to Charlottesville, VA, to assist a local Habitat for Humanity project as they begin a new 20+ house adventure called "Sunrise Park."

Because the cost of land has risen dramatically and the need for affordable housing is so great, this Habitat affiliate will be creating something entirely new in our country. The plan, already approved by the City, is to create from a low income mobile park a new vibrant, mixed-income community with a higher density, near jobs and public transportation and with greener buildings which will be affordable over the long run for families and better for the environment.

Greater Charlottesville Habitat has just completed the construction of 34 homes in 5 years and will be beginning their new $11.6 million Sunrise Park on February 1st. In addition, no one currently living in the trailer park will be excluded or left homeless with this new construction.