By By MARY-ALLISON LANCASTER – Managing editor
Let the building begin. The Brewton Habitat for Humanity building blitz officially kicked off its extravaganza last week with Brewton residents traveling to Virginia to lend a helping hand with the framing of one of two homes, which was transferred to Brewton three days later.
According to the Rev. Alecia C. Glaize, executive director of the Greater Brewton Habitat for Humanity, 10 residents traveled to Lynchburg, Va., March 25 to aid the Lynchburg Habitat affiliate with the framing of one of the homes.
Volunteers braved snowy weather to start work on the new houses.
The Lynchburg Habitat for Humanity affiliate is lending a helping hand to the Greater Brewton Habitat for Humanity in its efforts to build two new homes, which will be sold through no-profit, no-interest loans to families whose residences were damaged by Hurricane Ivan.
Tinita R. McFugerson and her children, and Anne L. Walton and her grandchildren were chosen to receive the Habitat homes. Both of the families have been living in small quarters since Hurricane Ivan hit the area in September 2004.
About 75 Lynchburg volunteers led by Lynchburg building contractor and Habitat enthusiast Tom Gerdy, along with the Brewton delegation, held a Brewton Bound Building Blitz in the parking lot of a local shopping mall.
Glaize said she was touched by the amount of people who showed up to help with the blitz. From the elderly, to students on Spring Break, everyone gathered at 8 a.m. and completed the construction by noon. The house frame stood in the mall parking lot until Tuesday, March 28.
It was later partially disassembled and loaded onto a truck provided by Highway Transport, Inc. based in Evergreen. The disassembled house was safely transported from central Virginia to south Alabama, and it is currently being stored in a warehouse until May 6. It will later be moved to the 800 block of Conoley Ave. and reassembled by a crew of volunteers headed by Gerdy.
The base foundation was set several weeks ago, and Glaize said the concrete foundation &#8220will be poured any day now.”
Funding for these houses was provided a hurricane grant from Habitat for Humanity International.
Currently about 50 volunteers from Virginia and several other states are committed to come to Brewton to help with the blitz.
Local volunteers are also needed and no special skills are required. For more information, contact Alecia C. Glaize, Executive Director, Greater Brewton Habitat for Humanity. Phone 251-867-0095; E-mail: habitat@fumcbrewton.org.