On Saturday, May 5, Brooke Welsh, Juan Arellanes, Landon Mattison and myself assisted assisted on a Habitat for Humanity job site in Northwest Lincoln as part of National Women Build Week. Work consisted primarily of framing of interior and exterior walls. Lumber was measured, cut, laid out, and ultimately nailed together to form wall sections that will be raised this coming Saturday. While there was one nail gun on site, the JEO Foundation crew did things the old fashioned way, by swinging a hammer.
Habitat for Humanity of Lincoln is an independent affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International, established in 1988. It is a nonprofit organization dedicated to offering dignity and hope by forming partnerships with low-income families by providing affordable, safe homes. Through volunteer labor and tax-deductible donations of money, land, and materials, Habitat for Humanity of Lincoln builds, rehabs or repairs simple, decent and affordable houses. Families are selected based on a number of criteria including:
- First time homeowner
- Good credit
- Employed with same employer minimum of six months
- Currently living in substandard housing
- Lancaster County resident minimum of 1 year
- Permanent legal U.S. resident
Selected partner families must complete 300-400 hours of "sweat equity" by working to build other's homes, volunteering at the Lincoln Habitat ReStore or other special projects. After completing their sweat equity, partner families purchase Habitat homes with zero-interest mortgages.
