Operation Home Delivery

Habitat for Humanity/Metro Jackson has agreed to serve as the location for the pilot of the House in a Box Program within Habitat for Humanity International's "Operation Home Delivery". As one of the most active affiliates in the Southeast still operating after Hurricane Katrina, Habitat Jackson is prepared to do what is necessary to help provide more permanent housing as quickly as possible to the storm's victims.

The plan for "Operation Home Delivery" focuses primarily on a plan to assemble materials needed to build a house - either purchased or donated- and then volunteers will "pre-build" the frame of a home over a few days. The house will be tacked together to ensure a rock -solid fit, then the frame will be taken apart and the components placed, along with other necessary construction materials, in a container and shipped to an area along the Gulf Coast or New Orleans where families, volunteers and builders will rebuild the home. Habitat for Humanity/Metro Jackson has been chosen to pilot this "House in a Box" project.

Habitat/Metro Jackson's Role
On September 26th, 27th, 28th, 29th, and 30th. Habitat/Metro Jackson will build five of the house in a box frames. In New York, our efforts will be mirrored with a three house in a box build which will be televised on the Today Show. The Today Show will also feature our build in Jackson. We are building from 5:30 a.m. to 11:00 each day at the Mississippi Ag. Museum. We must start early to be a part of the Today Show. After we complete the kick off, plans will be made to continue this work. Plans are also being made to utilize Habitat/ Metro Jackson's warehouse space to aid further in the rebuilding process. Read the full press release at this link: www.habitat.org/newsroom/2005archive/insitedoc010602.aspx

The Gaines Family-Covington, LA

For its project with Habitat for Humanity, The Fingerprint Initiative will be building a house for the Gaines family in New Orleans, LA. Money will be raised throughout the year for The Fingerprint House to be built.

Living in public housing is never easy. The conditions are cramped and you worry about your children’s safety when they go out to play. When both parents are disabled, it makes the everyday hardships even greater. Patsy Gaines, 44, and her husband Clarence Overton, 51 face this challenge everyday. Clarence is diabetic and depends on a wheelchair or walker for support. Several years ago Patsy had a stroke and must use a wheelchair to get around. Together with their children Shelicia, 16, and the twins Raven and Rocky, 12, the couple lives in a small apartment in a public housing project in Covington, Louisiana. The apartment is not handicapped accessible, making it difficult if not impossible for them to meet their basic needs. Because the bathroom can’t accommodate Patsy’s wheelchair, she has not had more than a sponge bath in the entire time their family has lived in their apartment.

Habitat for Humanity is about to change all that. The family first heard of Habitat through Patsy’s sister-in-law, who is also a Habitat homeowner. They applied for a house and based on their need, their ability to pay the monthly mortgage and their willingness to partner with Habitat, they were approved by the board of their local affiliate, St. Tammany West. Dozens of people are helping this family to fulfill their 500 hour sweat equity requirement. Clarence’s brother Terry, their children, friends, church family and people in the community are all volunteering their own time to help this family get a new house and a new lease on life!

Their brand new four bedroom, 1 bathroom house will be located in a neighborhood the affiliate calls “Hope Village”, close to their church and the children’s schools and a few blocks from the local hospital. All the rooms will be handicapped accessible, making it easy for wheelchairs to maneuver around. Clarence and Patsy say that to them, a Habitat house means the freedom to enjoy their golden years together knowing that their children have a safe, healthy environment to finish growing up in. Now they can truly say “…as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua 24:15b

Habitat Build in Benton Harbor, MI

Ginny Owens is embraced by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, at Habitat for Humanity's Jimmy Carter Work Project 2005 last week in Benton Harbor, Mich.