Habitat for Humanity International

GALESBURG , ILLINOIS (Galesburg Register-Mail) - Surrounded by walls of freshly dried concrete and piles of plywood, John Driffill shoveled dirt from the base of his family’s future home, a home being built by Habitat for Humanity. Driffill, his girlfriend Camille Johnson and their daughter Audrey lived in the basement of Johnson’s mother’s house, which is prone to flooding. With seven or eight people in the house and unable to put up baby gates because Johnson’s grandmother could not get over them, they wanted their own home. After applying, they were surprised to hear Habitat approved to build a house for them at Cedar and Third streets.

Habitat for Humanity International, a nonprofit, ecumenical Christian housing ministry, began in 1976 by Millard and Linda Fuller. Habitat builds with people and for low-income families in need, regardless of race or religion. The local affiliate began in 1993 after a woman from First Presbyterian Church, who volunteered with Habitat in Georgia, donated $1,000 to start one in Knox County. The house for Driffill’s family will be the 43rd home built by Knox County Habitat.

However, Habitat does not simply give away houses as some people think, Executive Director Jim Ecklund said. After the house is complete, the family will begin making mortgage payments. And within the span of eight months — the time Ecklund said it usually takes for a house to be complete — Johnson and Driffill must put 250 hours of “sweat equity” into building their own home, plus another 250 hours from volunteers they recruit.

“At first, it didn’t really set in that I was getting a house until we started building. It gets more exciting as we go through each step,” Driffill said.

To help Johnson and Driffill, experienced Habitat builders and volunteers from Covenant Church are working alongside them. As their mission, which they undertake every three years, Covenant Church members initially did not know the house they were building was for Johnson, who is a church member herself.

“This year we thought we were going to be farther away but it (the mission) was closer to home,” Fred Neubert said.

About 29 volunteers, teenagers to those in their 70s, who began work on Monday will be building through the heat and humidity for a week straight. On Thursday when they started at 6 a.m., it was 77 degrees but the temperature rapidly climbed to 97 by 1 p.m., the time they usually finish for the day.

“Our original plan was to go from 8 to 3. But with the heat and the unrelenting sunshine, it’s just kind of brutal now,” said the Rev. Tom Ek.

He said the majority of the volunteers are not unaccustomed to the work of building a house.

“We’re just grateful for people’s labor. We do things that we can and not push ourselves too far physically,” Ek said.

Ecklund, a former pastor of Covenant Church, said there is something for everyone to do regardless of the skill level when building for Habitat.

“My wife will tell you I didn’t know which end of the hammer to pick up before I started,” Ecklund said.

Ecklund knew that piece of information but did not know much more than that. He also said Habitat is an opportunity to learn more about house construction.

“It’s exciting to learn how to do some of this stuff. It’s cool to be building our own house,” Johnson said.

By 7:30 a.m. when the sun’s light began to hit them directly, volunteers wiped off beads of sweat with dirtied gloves and continued to shovel, hammer and carry plywood.

“I’m thankful and grateful to be given this opportunity by Habitat and thankful for all the church members coming all week and volunteering all those hours and helping us out,” Driffill said.

For more information on how to apply or volunteer for Habitat for Humanity, call (309) 343-2242. Ecklund encourages people to volunteer at current house building sites on Cedar and Second streets and 326 Indiana Ave. while they build on Wednesday and Saturday mornings.

Copyright 2013 Galesburg Register-Mail   (Copyright Terms)
Updated 668 days ago   Article ID# 1133678

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