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.

Corinth Project

We are planning to attach a room on the right hand side of this trailer in Corinth. The family cares for four under ten-year-old foster children and needs another bedroom. Our schedule calls to work on the foundation in mid-May and then to erect the room beginning on the 14th of June. Many more details will follow as the pieces start to fit into place. We hope that this is the kind of local endeavor that you would like to enable to succeed with whatever support you can offer.

Fall Mission Trip 2010

We plan to return to NOLA on Saturday, October 24th, and two weeks, leaving on Saturday, November 6th. Once again we will stay in Grace Lutheran on Canal Boulevard. This is a friendly congregation, committed to the rebuilding of the city, but the most important element is that George likes their kitchen!

Before then, we hope to assist a family in the Corinth area of NY after the warmer weather arrives and we can get a foundation in and ready to erect a room on top of it. We will let you know more about this as information becomes available.

Friday, March 26th

For all of this week our 19 were supplemented by several from the conference center staff: Gale and Margaret, the caretakers; Janet, the director; and Jean, an intern.

On this day further work in the Center itself, removing and replacing the sliding glass door at the handicapped entrance, and making repairs to the exterior siding and gutters, was completed Three days. Edd, Seth and Keith did this.

Repairs were also made on the residence ceiling to restore the sheetrock that had fallen when it became water-soaked. With ladders and boards stretched across the stair opening, Dave W., Roland, Tom, Eric and Ron somehow all found space to work in this narrow area.

Thursday's Race Against Rain

On Thursday we were promised rain – first by 8 in the evening, then in the middle of the afternoon. We were really under the gun, because the roof on the residence and on Jacob’s Well both only had tar paper down. Breakfast was served at 6:30, work began at 7, and, though we took breaks, the day didn’t end until well after 5.

Atop Jacob’s Well lodge -- Dave W., Glenn, Ted, Eric, Albert, Debbie, Gale and Jean -- the old soffits were removed, rafter extensions replaced as needed on the roof overhangs and sheathing repaired, all this after the roof was stripped of its three layers of shingles and paper.

In the large living room on the inside of Jacob’s Well, Dave M., Peg, Ted, Rose Ann and Margaret, caulked and sheetrocked and then paneled the ceiling with tongue and groove knotty pine. This sounds relatively simple, but first they put on two additional coats of finish on the T&G boards, find a dry place to store them while the other work was done, and then finally nail them in place, so that the joints and nail holes were virtually invisible.

Wednesday's Work

Kevin, who had been working in the Center adding amperage and new plates to the outlets used for meals and coffee and made other electrical modifications in the kitchen, finished his work.

This was a most beautiful day! If one had to be up on a roof, this was the day to do it, and we were up on three, with the Shingle-Belles working right through three-quarters of supper to finish their project. On Thursday, the Shingle-Belles divided up to assist others: Rose Ann to Jacob's Well living room; JoEllen to the residence roof; Debbie to Jacob's Well roof.

In the kitchen for the entire week were George and Joanne. They turned out wonderful, tasty and filling meals and desserts to keep us going through our long days.

On Tuesday

It rained on and off on Monday and Monday evening, but work went on. Besides the window-work, we began to tackle three roofs – a porch at the rear of the residence, the residence’s main roof and a lodge. The porch roof had suffered a puncture from a falling branch. Debbie, JoEllen and Rose Ann went to work on it. They removed a square of the roof so that they could insert a plywood patch and re-shingle the entire area. Things were complicated by there being two layers of existing shingles – running at 90-degrees to one another and a nearby skylight.

On the main roof of the residence there was a large dormer which had been leaking. Part of the problem was a smallish, ineffective cricket intended to deflect rainwater. The work which began on Monday to remedy this, however, led to even more rain water penetrating the roof when the wind blew the plastic cover aside. By Tuesday this was taken care of and further work on the roof proceeded – removing old shingles, adding a new drip edge, etc. Don, Lloyd, Ron, Tom, Roland and Margaret (one of the caretakers of the property) took the lead with this effort.

Monday, March 22nd

By late Sunday afternoon all 21 of us had arrived at Wellspring. First we toured the various work sites, then we sat down for a meal prepared by Ingrid, the staff cook. Following supper we divided ourselves up to deal with the various challenges and briefly planned how to deal with them -- at least initially.

The weather was good. Energy abounded. We were ready. And so on Monday morning we began. Two of the large double-pane windows in the Center had insect damage on their lower supports. Very carefully the weakened materials were removed from the bottom and both glass panes released from the frames. Then, the lower supports were rebuilt, new caulk put in place and the glass returned. Total time: two days. Seth, Edd and Keith handled this job.

March Mission Trip

We will be going to the Wellspring Conference Center, in Germantown, MD, the week of March 21st to 27th in order to assist them with repairs and improvements. As part of The Church of the Saviour, Wellspring is a Christian conference center which helps the church be the church by leading events that foster spiritual growth -- (1) an inward journey, (2) an outward journey of service, and (3) a commitment to building community. Also, they provide a place for rest and renewal for people already engaged in Christ's service.

Our work will include repairing water damage to various lodges and the Center, adding insulation and new ceilings within the lodges, installing new electrical lines and outlets and reversing various other problems created by recent storms and the aging of their 37-year-old buildings.

Established over 50 years ago, Wellspring sponsors and hosts retreats. It is part of over 200 acres of land set aside for renewal purposes. Another part of the property is used for silent retreats of the members of the various congregations within The Church of the Saviour which sponsor over 40 ministries to those in need within the city of Washington, D.C., and to others beyond beyond the goegraphical bounds of the Capitol.

Late Fall Gathering

Twenty members of our building/rebuilding team met in Clifton Park, NY, on Saturday, December 12th, to begin planning work for the new year. As usual we had a great time together and somehow, amid all the cheerful banter and food consumption , we actually got a few things done. We hope to be able to move in several different directions as 2010 rolls out: repairs at Wellspring, the conference center of Church of the Saviour in Germantown, MD; construction with a Habitat or Habitat-like project someplace in Virginia (or with a days+ drive); the addition of a room for a family in Corinth, NY. Obviously many details remain to be worked out, but, if the way be clear, these are the directions we plan to take. (George took our photo.)

NOLA: Week Two, Day Three

This is Eagle Street, Miss Thelma's house. Some three generations live here, but we are only working on the "new addition" on the left, where we are trying to correct a problem with the floor joists and supporting girders. Tomorrow we will pour cement into four new pads which will support the new piers. These in turn will bring everything into a level plane -- we hope. Also, we have wrapped the exterior walls with Tyvek to create a vapor barrier, so that new siding can later be installed.

Gordon Street was finished today at three o'clock! A local TV affiliate showed up to talk with the owner and some of our NYS-fits+ thought they may have been pictured in the background. This is the second home that we have been able to see to completion, which gives a wonderful feeling of accomplishment. We realize that it takes the efforts of many, many groups to do all the work, but it is a wonderful high when you see that everything, literally everything, is finished!

Sadly, tomorrow Jim leaves. Another of us will go on Friday and then the rest on Saturday. The days have flown past us. We give thanks to God for the safety we have known and the spirit of cooperation and joy that has infused our team.

NOLA: Week Two

Time has been flying. It's already Tuesday of week two!

Good progress continues to be made on Gordon. Today some 25 bags of cement were mixed and poured into the reinforced forms for the bases of the two stairs. Inside, caulking, painting, hot water heater connections and other "punch-list" items were completed. Wesley again worked side-by-side with our intrepid volunteers.

On Eagle Street, Seth and Ted worked once more with Dan to level the joists in the middle room. Each of the lines in the photo are levels against which they are attempting to move the joists, so that the new floor will be level. A larger jack, capable of lifting 30 tons, is coming tomorrow to raise the center joist. Following that the news pads will be poured for the piers. Outside, the sheathing was wrapped around 3/4 of the house and set in place with staples and felt nails. When the sheathing is completed and the floor leveled, the windows will be re-installed.

NOLA: Days Four and Five

Thursday and Friday work pushed ahead on three fronts.

On Gordon Street both the inside and outside areas made great progress. Caulk, paint and plumbing tasks continued on the inside; the front and side porches are nearing the completion point. Pressure treated wood was used throughout, and the sculpted handrails and rounded spindles give them an attractive appearance.

On Tchoupitoulas we finished the roof Friday afternoon when the ridge caps were added. Two vents were installed to take hot air out of the attic. The entry way and side shed roofs were also completed as well. Fortunately this all took place about two hours before the heavens opened and about 4 inches of rain fell!

On Eagle Street most of the tearing outs and removing of old materials was finished. The first steps in the rebuilding were taken, beginning with the outside area around the bay window on the side of the house. Next week we tackle the center and supporting joists of the floor.

NOLA: Day Three

Work continued under mostly cloudy skies. We lathered up with sunscreen early because it looked as if the skies would clear and we might bake, but that was not to be the case.

On Gordon Street in the Lower Ninth, the front porch efforts continued apace, as did the painting and caulking on the inside. Also, the side porch was begun. They appear to be on track to finish or almost finish by the end of the week.

On Tchoupitoulas (Nice name, huh?), we stripped off the last part of the roof and continued to shingle the first half. Ted built a railing for the long flight of existing stairs and a short set of steps from the landing to the ground. In the picture, Seth has stolen the nail gun from Ted to drive in the last nails.

NOLA: Day Two

The skies opened up last night and dropped some more rain on the Crescent City. It continued raining in the morning, but then slowed and cleared enough for some of our roofers to return to their work. Others on the crew were moved to a third house to do work that would not be slowed by rain. By the end of the day, however, our intrepid roofers had entirely papered all of the roof and shingled about half of it.

On our second house progress was made on the new front porch. Interior painting and cable wiring continued, as well as the plumbing. There is a good chance that this house will be finished by the end of the week.

At the new third house, old water and drain lines were cut and removed to make way for the new plumbing. Underneath the main rim joist where the flooring has been removed, two new temporary piers were erected. These will be used as part of the solution to a four inch floor sag. Additionally, the first step in addressing other joist issues was begun. Much work remains to be done.

NOLA: Day One

Fortunately, the hot and humid conditions that had been forecast for Monday never appeared. This gave us an opportunity to get a good start on the roof of one of the two homes we are working on. We have about half of the old shingles and paper off, repairs made to the roof surface, almost half of the new drip edge installed and several courses of paper and shingles started.

At the second house, work has begun on the new front porch, the new cable lines were pulled and some of the interior finishing work is underway. Painting and plumbing also need to be done, including the installation of a new hot water heater. Some of the exterior work may be slowed down if the rain predicted for tomorrow materializes.

And, yes, our final two re-builders arrived late this afternoon. We are now nineteen strong!

Our Return to New Orleans

Seventeen NYS-fits+ have arrived in New Orleans to continue the rebuilding efforts that we began here in the Fall of 2007. We are expected two more persons tomorrow to bring our team to its full complement. Once again we will be working through the Disaster Recovery Office of the Presbytery of Southern Louisiana.

Grace Lutheran on Canal Boulevard is our host church for this visit. Their building was under eight feet of water for three weeks, but, with help from persons all around the country, they were able to return to their sanctuary for worship on Easter of 2006. They continue to be highly supportive of the rebuilding effort in New Orleans, as hosts and volunteers. They have also sent teams to other parts of the country to assist rebuilding efforts there.

Albany Project: Fifth Day

The clutter remains -- ladders, scaffolding, cut and un-cut drywall, corner bead, two-by-fours, scraps of this and that, but not nearly as much joint compound as a while ago.

Our finishing work continues. The proscenium arch in the theater has come a long, long way. Now, sheathed in a skim-coat of joint compound, it is almost ready to paint, as are the surrounding walls. Almost, almost.

Further behind is the Oasis. Though every joint now has a coat of mud, much sanding and reapplications remain. The soffits are almost done, too.

With John joining the work crew today, the Theater now has its new door. The closet door is not far behind. Seth has been given a design commission by John to sketch out the marquee. So that, too, may soon be underway.

The projection: two more days of mudding and everything should be ready for a first coat of paint.