FROM THE GROUND UP: HABITAT FOR HUMANITY CELEBRATES 10 YEARS IN CAPE GIRARDEAU

Ronnie Wright is more familiar with his house than most homeowners.

He and his family helped build it from the ground up.

Wright, his wife, Dee, and five children moved into the two-story house at 1515 N. Water in August 1995.

"We worked on the house for more than two years," said Wright, owner of Exit 91 Truck Wash south of Cape Girardeau.

"We ran into some bad weather during construction, but we finally made it, and that's what it's all about," said Wright, who invested a lot of "sweat equity" into the home.

Sweat equity is a term of Habitat for Humanity, which helps provide new or renovated homes to families who qualify. Families eligible for Habitat for Humanity homes must meet certain income criteria and be willing to work on their own home.

"Families can select a house plan they want," said Bill Cheeseman, president of the Habitat group that has been in Cape Girardeau for 10 years.

Habitat requires that homeowners provide at least 350 hours of sweat equity into the home.

"We probably put in more than 1,200 hours," said Wright. The entire family pitched in with volunteers for Habitat for Humanity.

It took more than two years of Saturdays and some evenings to build the house. But the house stands out from the homes around it.

"This is more than a home," said Wright. "It motivated my wife to go back to school and me to start my own business. This home has been a part of everything we have done."

"We have a long list of volunteers," said Cheeseman. "The list includes businessmen, students and a number of other people who can lend a few hours with a hammer and saw."

"I worked with Ronnie Wright on his home," said David Lah, a civil engineer in the city's engineering department. "Ronnie and all the volunteers were having fun."

Lah is familiar with the Habitat for Humanity program.

"I have been a financial contributor to the program since it started nationally 20 years ago," said Lah. "And over the past few years I have participated in the construction of homes."

Jerry Witvoet of Cape Girardeau, a counselor for the Cape Girardeau School District, has worked on two Habitat homes.

"I enjoy doing this," said Witvoet. "It's rewarding to help a family get into their own home, and it's a good diversion from my everyday work."

Witvoet has been involved in several areas of construction -- concrete work, landscaping, drywall, carpentry and painting."

Lah and Witvoet will join other volunteers in building the latest Habitat house at 1518 Rand.

"This will be the fourth new home in Cape Girardeau for Habitat," said Cheeseman. Habitat has provided homes for five families in Cape Girardeau. The first two homes were renovation projects of older homes, said Cheeseman.

The Perry Dietiker family lives in a Habitat home at 1024 Good Hope. Dietiker, his wife, Veronica, and three children moved in six years ago.

"This is a three-bedroom home," said Dietiker, custodian at the First Presbyterian Church in Cape Girardeau. Dietiker heard about the program from First Presbyterian Church.

"We spent a lot of time working on the home," said Dietiker.

Habitat for Humanity was born in southwest Georgia 20 years ago. The program started in 1976 with the help of millionaire lawyer and businessman Millard Fuller and the late Dr. Clarence Jordan, a scholar and farmer.

Fuller moved his family to Koisonai Farms, a biracial Christian community near Americus, Ga.

Fuller and Jordan teamed up to establish the Fund for Humanity, aimed at curing problems of substandard housing. The fund was a not-for-profit, no-interest loan program using volunteer labor. The concept spread slow.

By the group's 10th anniversary, Habitat had constructed 1,000 homes.

Fuller then talked his home county's star citizen, former President Jimmy Carter, into championing the group. Carter joined volunteer groups to help build homes, and growth in the program soared.

"Carter is a big supporter of the program," said Cheeseman. "Each year Carter sponsored a blitz-building program and participates in a project to build five, 10 to 15 homes in an area. We'd like to have him participate in one of the blitz projects in Cape Girardeau."

Habitat for Humanity is now in 48 countries, averaging construction of 34 homes a day worldwide. There are 1,249 affiliate groups in the U.S., 57 of them in Georgia.

Habitat started in Cape Girardeau under the Rev. Gary Byrkit of First Christian Church. Under Byrkit, a Bootheel Habitat for Humanity project sponsored its first home in Hayti Heights.

One of the first Cape Girardeau projects was unique in that it involved the moving of a building: Grace Methodist Church donated a house to Habitat, and it was moved form Cordelia Street to 545 Hanover.

The local Habitat for Humanity Board includes a banker, minister, dentist, college student and engineer, said Cheeseman.

"We're looking to expand the board" he said. "We'd like to see a lawyer on the board."

Habitat is always looking for funding and volunteers. The group receives funding from United Way, private contributions and a number of churches.

"During the past year we have received funding and volunteers from 14 churches in Cape Girardeau," said Cheeseman.

Another source of funding is mortgage payments. No-interest mortgages are provided by Habitat, said Cheeseman. The mortgage payments are then funneled back into the Habitat kitty to build more houses.

VOLUNTEER BUILDERS

Habitat for Humanity, a program to provide housing to low-income families who ~~~would not qualify for conventional bank loans, is observing its 20 anniversary nationally and 10th year in Cape Girardeau in 1996.

Habitat for Humanity recently broke ground for its fourth new home in Cape Girardeau and construction is now under way.

Partner families are selected by the local Habitat for Humanity organization based on need, income, ability to repay a loan and their willingness to invest hundreds of hours of labor to help build the house.

-- Habitat for Humanity was founded in Southwest Georgia in 1976.

-- The average cost of U.S. Habitat houses is $37,898.

-- The cost of Habitat homes in Cape Girardeau range from $30,000 to $34,000.

-- A Habitat home can be constructed in some foreign countries for $1,000.

-- Only 1,000 homes were built the first decade of the program.

-- During its 20 years of existence, Habitat has constructed more than 50,000 houses.

-- Thirty four new Habitat for Humanity houses are now being constructed throughout the world each day.

-- Atlanta, Ga. has most Habitat house in the U.S., with 325.

-- The average monthly mortgage payment for Habitat homes is $267.

-- The foreclosure rate on Habitat Homes is under one percent (0.08 percent).

-- Five Cape Girardeau families live in Habitat homes -- three new homes and two completed renovated older homes.