HELMSBURG — “Building Homes — Building Lives” is the motto for Brown County Habitat for Humanity. A new home is currently underway, this year, in Helmsburg.
This year’s Partner Family is Pearletta Banks and her granddaughter, Alexis. Pearletta has lived in Brown County since 2007 and works for Brown County government. Alexis is an eighth-grader at Brown County Junior High School.
Habitat partner families are chosen based on need and their ability to pay an affordable mortgage and put in 250 hours of “sweat equity.” The home is not free, but comes with an interest-free loan thanks to the many volunteers who give time and money to build the home.
Habitat works to build one home each year in Brown County and/or to refurbish homes for owners who are facing financial hardship through a program called Brush with Kindness.
[sc:text-divider text-divider-title=”Story continues below gallery” ]In 2019, Habitat renovated a home for handicap accessibility for Dennis and Melissa Stinson, and moved 2019 Partner Heather Fox and her family into a Habitat home that had been built in 2017. That home was reacquired by Habitat when a partner family moved away.
Help is needed on the current build site. Volunteers can sign up for a full or half day of construction time. To volunteer, call the Habitat Office at 812-988-4926. Social distancing is practiced on site, with only three to seven people at one time. Volunteers bring their own lunch; safety equipment is provided.
This year, Habitat for Humanity will celebrate 30 years of building affordable homes in Brown County. To celebrate, the group is asking community organizations and individuals to purchase and decorate building studs for this Habitat build.
Call the Habitat office at 812-988-4926 for a stud, and or send or bring in a check for $50 for each stud made payable to BC-Habitat for Humanity or just “BCHFH.” Studs can be picked up or Habitat will deliver. Buyers are encouraged to decorate them with names, words of encouragement, artwork and more, then return them to Habitat or ask for pickup by June 27. Watch the website or Facebook page for an announcement of “stud-finder” day when you can stop by the build site and see your stud built into the new home.
Business owners are encouraged to challenge customers to give support to Habitat. Habitat will set up store displays with a sign and a stud with a business name on it. Owners can put out a donation bucket and some markers and customers can add to the stud for a small donation, or offer to match their donations.
