Home    Views    June

		Points of View Merle Kindred June 27, 2002 Guest Column and photos of Habitat builders © 2002 Merle Kindred. Parade photo © 2002 Kim Puuri. Published with Permission. Photo of Merle Kindred by Michele Anderson.

Wisconsin volunteers help build South Range Habitat homes

HANCOCK -- Miracles come in many forms, and this time it was with tool belts and determination to build. Twenty-nine members of the United Church of Christ Congregational Church in Amery, Wis., (Rev. Barry R. Schaefer, Pastor) arrived in Michigan's Keweenaw Peninsula on June 8, 2002, prepared for a week of work on a pair of homes being constructed by Copper Country Habitat for Humanity (CCHFH) in South Range. 

Volunteers from the United Church of Christ Congregational Church in Amery, Wis., join Copper Country Habitat for Humanity builders in South Range earlier this month. (Photo © 2002 Merle Kindred. Reprinted with permission.)

From June 10-15, miracles were manifest to the Nixon and Itoney families who will soon be residents of South Range, in their new energy-efficient Habitat homes. The Copper Country Habitat affiliate had already cleared the sites, laid masonry foundations, constructed the floor plates and framed the walls. The campus chapter of Habitat at Michigan Technological University in Houghton raised the walls in preparation for the group's arrival. 

Constructing homes, especially to energy-conserving specifications, is no easy task. Paul Luoma, CCHFH construction and site supervisor, said at first he wondered how the Wisconsin group, half teenagers, would fare. The volunteers from the Congregational Church also wondered if the Copper Country affiliate would really be ready for them and able to keep them meaningfully busy all week.

"They called and asked if we could supply work for the group," said Luoma. "That's why we decided to build two houses at a time."

Luoma said he soon discovered the Wisconsin volunteers -- most of them teenagers -- were familiar with the Habitat program and had previous experience building Habitat homes.

"They were an excellent group of young people," Luoma noted. "They came up here to learn how to construct an energy-efficient home."

The Copper Country affiliate has built nearly a dozen houses since the mid-1990s, and the last five have been variations on their award-winning passive solar, energy-efficient designs.

Volunteers, from left, Christa Pinger, Catie Pinger and Nancy Hoppe -- all of Amery, Wis. -- cut 2 x 4s for one of the Copper Country Habitat for Humanity energy-efficient homes being built in South Range this summer. (Photo © 2002 Merle Kindred. Reprinted with permission.)

Luoma said the Wisconsin volunteers caught on fast to the energy-efficient construction methods.

The blitz build started with a scorching Monday morning, and then the weather became mostly cool and cloudy as the week progressed. Roof trusses were erected on both houses, then cladding, tar paper and shingles with great camaraderie and enthusiasm. By the week's end, interior walls were erected and waterproofing was installed in the crawl spaces. Everyone was excited by the progress.

One of the energy-efficient Habitat for Humanity homes in South Range begins to take shape, thanks to the efforts of volunteers, including the group from Amery, Wis. (Photo © 2002 Merle Kindred. Reprinted with permission.)

The group bunked down in Grace Lutheran Church ELCA in South Range and enjoyed lunches and dinners  provided by local churches. Michigan Technological University provided showering facilities. The group also had time to explore the peninsula and experience some of the wonders of its copper mining history with a tour of Quincy Mine in Hancock.

The Nixon and Itoney families also participated as much as their work schedules permitted and were astounded at how quickly their homes were taking shape. At Friday's lunch, the blitz builders gave each family a quilt made by the women of their church. They also presented each family with some of Wisconsin's famous cheese and T-shirts with the Habitat logo and "Amery to Houghton, Mission Trip 2002, Congregational Church" on the front; these also had a quote from 1 Corinthians 3:11 on the back: "For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ." Representatives of the affiliate were also presented with a check for $3,050 from the church, which will be matched by 50% from Habitat for Humanity International.

The end of the blitz build coincided with Bridgefest, the annual celebration by the sister cities of Houghton and Hancock that are linked by a bridge over the Portage Canal. Copper Country Habitat for Humanity had a float in the parade and a partially-built shed for one of the families built by the group in time for the event. Signs were posted on the shed that reminded the community of Habitat's mission: "Habitat builds homes; Habitat builds hope," "Raise the roof with Habitat," and "Habitat hammers out problems." Members of the Congregational Church rode the float in celebration of a wonderful week of Christian giving.

Guest columnist Merle Kindred, left, of Hancock, and Judy Pleshe of Chassell carry the Copper Country Habitat for Humanity banner, followed by the CCHFH float during the Bridgefest Parade in Hancock on June 14, 2002. (Photo © 2002 Kim Puuri. Reprinted with permission.)

Copper Country Habitat for Humanity and the 2002 Habitat Housing Partners thank the United Church of Christ Congregational Church in Amery for helping make the miracle of decent, sustainable housing happen in the Keweenaw Peninsula.

For more information about the summer building schedule or about applying for a Habitat for Humanity home, visit the CCHFH Web site or phone the office in Hancock: 906/482-5376. 

Learn more about the author of this guest column, Merle Kindred.

Visit the Keweenaw Now discussion forums to comment on this article.

Note: Views expressed by our guest columnists are not necessarily the views of Keweenaw Now.