By Donna Thornton/News Editor
A steady rain didn’t dampen spirits June 4 as Melissa Taylor and her son Brayden gathered with Gadsden-Etowah Habitat for Humanity volunteers for the groundbreaking on her first house and Habitat’s 43rd.
Without Habitat and its sweat-equity program enabling people in substandard housing to seek funding for a home at much lower than conventional costs as they work on homes for others, Taylor said she’d have never been able to afford the house that will be built for them.
“I’d have been living in an apartment the rest of my life,” Taylor said.
Habitat families are required to work 300 hours – most of it on homes for others. Taylor said she’s already done about 140 of those required hours.
She said her mother saw something in the newspaper about Habitat taking applications and she decided to apply.
“I’m so glad I did,” Taylor said.
Habitat volunteers currently are working on another house in Adams Park in East Gadsden, and there are three others “in the pipeline” in addition to the Taylor house, Habitat President Traci Pondick said.
Not all of those homes will be completed this year, she said.
Taylor estimated, based on the construction progress on other Habitat homes, that hers might be completed by October or November.
Taylor’s home will be built in North Gadsden, on Garvin Street. Pondick said another Habitat home will be built next to hers, but there are two otherhomes to be constructed before that one.
The Taylor home is sponsored by Habitat, Mary Alvey and Wells Fargo.
Pondick said Habitat always is looking for more volunteers to help with home building or in working with families. Volunteers must be 16 years old or older. Two contact Habitat, call 256-543-1898 or email gehabitat@comcast.net. To find out more about Habitat visit www.gadsdenhabitat.com.
Pondick said Habitat also needs volunteers for the 2nd annual Habitat Dragon Boat Festival in August. Teams will sign up to race dragon boats on the Coosa River while raising money for Habitat for Humanity.