CHURCHES WILL HELP CONSTRUCT TWO HOMES

Two Cape Girardeau churches will help construct new homes this summer during a blitz project with Habitat for Humanity.

First Baptist Church and Cape LaCroix United Methodist Church will provide labor for the homes to be built at 50 and 54 Green Acres.

First Baptist also will provide materials. This is the first time a church has agreed to help with an entire construction project from labor to funding, said Bill Cheeseman, president of the local Habitat for Humanity affiliate.

Habitat for Humanity is a volunteer program designed to eliminate substandard housing worldwide. It was founded in 1976. Habitat homeowners are accepted by referral and must make a small down payment in addition to providing 350 hours of "sweat equity" for the home.

Members of First Baptist Church have committed to build the home at 50 Green Acres. Volunteers from LaCroix United Methodist Church will help build the house at 54 Green Acres.

With material donations and volunteer labor, building the houses "will truly be a community project," said Dr. John Owen, pastor of First Baptist Church.

The average cost of construction of a three-bedroom Habitat house is $38,000. Homeowners are not charged interest on their mortgage.

Cape Girardeau's blitz begins in July, but groundbreaking and foundation work already is under way.

The home at 54 Green Acres is being considered as an Oprah House, said the Rev. Miles White of Westminster Presbyterian Church. White also serves on the local Habitat board.

Talk-show host Oprah Winfrey challenged viewers to build a home in each city that has a Habitat affiliate. The challenge came when Winfrey launched Oprah's Angel Network in 1997.

"Oprah's emphasis on caring for others through Habitat for Humanity has already had a positive impact on our program in the Cape area," Cheeseman said.

In the last five years, Habitat has built five houses in Cape Girardeau. Construction usually takes about eight or nine months but can take longer depending on the amount of volunteer labor, Cheeseman said.

If things go well, there could be three houses under construction and near completion by the end of the year, he said.

The local affiliate was founded in 1986. There are more than 1,000 United States affiliates and 500 projects in 33 other countries.