The Habitat House is Underway!

The foundation is poured down and the walls are up. West Pine Middle School has raised over 1,300 dollars for Habitat for Humanity’s special education build. The building for the house started October 17, 2015 and is already off to a great start. The house is located on Thomas Avenue in Aberdeen. That whole street is full of Habitat houses. This makes it feel like a community with people who come from the same experiences. The family that will live in the house is the Brower family. The Brower family is a single mom with two young kids ages 5 and an infant. The mom, Paulisha Brower, is looking to go to Sandhills Community College. This house isn’t just handed to them wrapped up like a nice little present. It is a gift that is worked for. Ms. Brower had to undergo tests and background checks.

Audrey said her, “overall experience at the site was very humbling. I was able to talk to some wonderful kind hearted people and see the community coming together to build a house.”

Student Audrey Ledford came to the build site this past Saturday and talked to waiting Habitat Homeowner De’Neeta. She shared the steps of the voyage to getting a Habitat house. First, they check your income guideline and make sure your credit is up to par. Then, you get a background check and Habitat Workers come to visit your current home. A reason why you would apply for a home would be because you live in a crime infested neighborhood, your house is too small, or your house is unstable and falling apart. Then, they meet you and you explain why you need the house. Lastly, you get in front of a board for the second time and they will either approve you or not.

Not only that but Ms. Brower is working to build her own house as well as other Habitat houses. If you receive a Habitat home, you are required to help work as a volunteer for other houses. De’Neeta says that after you get approved, you still have to work to get a house before others approved do. 1 adult is required to work 300 hours. They have to do at least 60 sweat work hours on other houses, and a total of 90 hours going to education classes, working at the Habitat stores, etc. Your family and friends can help get the other 150 hours too.

If you are able to start building the house, you get to pick the floor plan and all the other details like, the color of the cabinets, carpet color, etc. Habitat is such a great program because you don’t pay interest on the house and it is around $375 a month. Ms. Brower has young kids and De’Neets is expecting, so this new home will help their kids to not feel ashamed of their home and have a place for them in the future.

Ms. Brower went to West Pine when she was in Middle School!

Habitat for Humanity is completely run on volunteers and donations. In the last year, Habitat’s volunteers gave 21,192 hours of service. Mrs. Belmore, Dr. Calcutt, and Mr. Moore volunteered from our school and Dr. Grimesey and school board members, Ed Dennison, Helena W-Miller and Laura Lang also volunteered. On weekdays construction volunteer crews work on the very difficult tasks.

Since this is an education build, all of Moore County’s schools were raising money. West Pine raised more money than any other school! West Pine Middle’s Habitat for Humanity club is building a bookhouse for the front yard of the Brower house. A quote from the Habitat Club President, Audrey Ledford says that “This book house is suppose to give kids access to books 24/7. Reading is such an important part of loving to learn and everyone should be able to experience that.” This book house will stand outside like a bird house and will have popular, donated books.

In the Spring, the club will also be helping out with an outdoor raised garden. If you would like to donate your time, join the Habitat club. If your parents or older siblings would like to volunteer, visit the Habitat for Humanity Sandhills website. Audrey said her, “overall experience at the site was very humbling. I was able to talk to some wonderful kind hearted people and see the community coming together to build a house.” This is the 233rd Habitat house that has been built in the Sandhills and will be completed this spring. It will be very exciting to follow this house's journey and know that we have made a difference.