News

Habitat homeowner-partner selected; construction expected to begin this month

“Excited…overjoyed…I’m beside myself.” While those were the reactions of our new homeowner-partner, when he learned in late April that the Spring of Life Partnership would help build a new home for his family, the same sentiments were expressed by volunteers anxious to get started on our sixth Habitat for Humanity house.

An application for a building permit has been filed and, if all goes well, we expect to start building a modest Prairie-style four-bedroom house in south Elgin in June. Becoming homeowners means many things for our new partners Norvell Massey, his wife Nashiki and their four children ages 10-16. For anyone with growing children it won’t be news that the children are looking forward to having their own rooms. “I won’t have to share a room,” said the eldest, 16-year-old Shaurice, a sentiment quietly echoed by her sister Teri, 10, and brothers Terico, 14, and La’vell, also 14. Having their own rooms also will give the youngsters, all top students, individual space for studies and homework.

In anticipation of building soon, a new easy-to-remember work schedule is included on the website. The new schedule calls for three-four churches in the partnership to provide the work crew on each of the first three Saturdays each month. On the fourth Saturday volunteers from all churches in the partnership who couldn’t help on their scheduled Saturday are invited to help build. As on previous builds, responsibility for providing lunch for the work crews will rotate among the 11 churches.