Welcome to EllwoodCity.org.  The "unofficial" site of Ellwood City, Pennsylvania

07/21/2008 07:48 AM

 

Building A Dream July 1, 2008 ECO staff – Laure Cioffi, Senior Journalist (view photos) ELLWOOD CITY – When Christina Norris moves into her new home, she can boast that she helped build it with her own two hands. “I helped with the framework. I helped lay the floor and the cement. I hold the wood while they cut it, I don’t want to use the saw,” said Norris. Norris will be the owner of the first home built in Ellwood City through Lawrence County’s Habitat for Humanity. A ceremonial groundbreaking was held on June 1 and construction work started June 18 on the two-story home being built on the 500 block of Seventh Street. In just a month workers have put up the first floor framing and were working Monday on the joists for the second floor. While this is the first Habitat house in Ellwood City, it is the 16th Habitat house built in the county, said Sheree Cunningham, affiliate manager for Lawrence County Habitat for Humanity. All of the other homes were built in New Castle. The Ellwood City home came to fruition because William Blank, an Ellwood City resident who served on the Habitat board of directors for six years, purchased the lot and donated it. Blank said he bought the lot two years ago from Ellwood City Borough after an old apartment building on the land has been condemned and razed. He wanted to see Habitat expand its efforts to the southern part of the county. “I hope we get a couple more homes in Ellwood City,” Blank said. Norris said she heard that Habitat was building in Ellwood City in May 2007 and applied. She now lives in a small second floor apartment with her three children, Athena, 16, Justina, 13, and Jeffrey, 11, and was looking for a larger home. “I originally didn’t think I’d get approved,” she said worried that her credit rating wasn’t up to par. Norris, who works as an assistant manager at an area store, said becoming eligible for the Habitat house was a long process that included multiple interviews and months of waiting. She was approved last September and thought construction would begin shortly, but the construction of her home was pushed back when Habitat started building a home on Franklin Avenue in New Castle. Norris said she works each day with the volunteers who are building her home. Some days there are upwards of 18 people working on construction. On Monday she did everything from buy the doughnuts that workers ate on their break to carry large slabs of wood inside the framing of her new home. “She’s a good worker. She really digs and helps,” said Dave Trautman, construction coordinator for Habitat. Habitat has a core group of volunteers like Trautman who participate in each build, but seeks local organizations and churches to participate, officials said. There are 16 Ellwood City churches who have offered volunteer help with Norris’ home, said Janice Himes, a member of the Habitat board of directors and chairman of Habitat’s church relations committee. Himes said the level of involvement from each church varies. Some are offering only prayer support, while others send construction volunteers and lunch for the workers. “We wanted to let anyone participate who was interested. Just to get a feel for Habitat,” Himes said. In addition to church volunteers, the Youth Development Center in Shenango Township, brings groups on Mondays and Wednesdays to work. Youth Development Center is a state-run facility for male juvenile offenders. “We try to impress upon them the importance of giving back,” said Joanne Ferg-Echement, YDC activities specialist. “Because they have taken from the community.” Six boys from YDC were working Monday on the home doing everything from pounding nails to digging a trench around the house. “This is a character building experience for them. They are here to work together and they have to realize that nobody’s an island,” Ferg-Echement said as she oversaw two of the boys lifting a piece of wood and nailing it in. The home should be completed in September. By then, Norris said she should have completed the 250 hours of classes and volunteer work required by Habitat. Norris has already finished the required budgeting and homeowner education classes. Once the three-bedroom home is built, Norris will be given a no-interest 20-to-25-year loan through Habitat that covers the actual costs of construction. The loan is estimated to be $60,000 to $65,000, she said. Without the volunteer labor, the construction costs would likely be close to $100,000, according to Norris. Participating Churches: Bell Memorial Presbyterian Church Calvin Presbyterian Christ Presbyterian Ellport Presbyterian First Baptist Church of Chewton First United Methodist Free Methodist Holy Redeemer Knox United Presbyterian Park Gate Baptist Slippery Rock Presbyterian Trinity Lutheran Wampum Presbyterian Wampum United Methodist Wurtemburg Presbyterian United Brethren in Christ Church