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Meeting for Home Builders' Blitz participants
Professionals to Build Home in One Week
by gihfh (Subscribe)
Posted on: Mar 19, 2008 at 9:38 AM CDT
Channel: Events
Location: Grand Island
Building one house in five days at little or no cost, that was the goal addressed at a meeting of home builders and suppliers recently.
As part of the national, Home Builders Blitz 2008, Grand Island Area Habitat for Humanity will be working with industry professionals to build its 47th home in the area.
Last fall, Amos Anson of FAmos Construction approached the affiliate offering to spearhead a local project and serve as the contractor, if the affiliate wanted to participate in the national effort.
After several organizational meetings involving Habitat for Humanity representatives and Anson, the first meeting of community partners was held recently. At the meeting, subcontractors and suppliers heard about how other Habitat affiliates across the country participated in the 2006 national blitz and learned about this year's project. In this, the second year, every state will see at least one home built during the week of May 31-June 6. Over 100 Habitat affiliates will be participating this year, including Grand Island and Kearney.
Roy Muesch, a builder who led the Kearney Habitat affiliate during the 2006 Home Builders Blitz, offered his take on the project, "It was a great experience for the builders...no one wanted to be the weak link."
He added, "I thought I knew what Habitat was about before the build, but during (the build) I learned what a great organization it is and now I'm on the board."
Subcontractors and suppliers that have signed agreements to participate in the project include: Bartunek and Caudill Drywall, American Fence Company, Mead Lumber, Builders Warehouse, GSC Unlimited/The Woman's Touch Painting, Sundance Landscaping, Grizzly Construction and Design, Century Lumber, Fox Construction, Inc., Swanson Plumbing, Middleton Electric, Island Glass, Obermiller Seamless, Inc., Hooker Bros. Sand and Gravel, Jerry's Sheetmetal, Katzberg Concrete Constrction, and MDM Pest and Termite Control.
Other businesses have pledged their support, with some offering to provide food for the builders.
Partnering on the home is Becky Hatcher and her daughter, Tessa. Hatcher, who works for Kristy Cavanaugh-American Family Insurance, applied to become a Habitat home owner during the most recent application period. Hatcher and other Grand Island Area Habitat partner families must qualify based on income guidelines, housing needs, and ability to pay Habitat's no interest home loan, plus be willing to complete 500 hours of work and home ownership education.
Currently, an application period is open for future Grand Island homes. Applications are available at the Habitat office, located at 410 W. 2nd St., Suite 6. Potential applicants may call for more information on qualifications and to set up an appointment. The current application period closes at noon, March 31.
For more information on either the Home Builders Blitz or the home ownership application period, call 308-385-5510.
