HELPING HANDS: HABITAT, CHURCHES REACHING OUT IN COMMUNITY

Tara Levy, a member of La Croix United Methodist Church, finished nailing a header at 54 Green Acres Drive. Levy and other members of La Croix Church are volunteering to build the house with Habitat for Humanity.

Wayne McPherson took a drink of water during break at the Habitat for Humanity construction site. Dozens of volunteers have helped with construction during a weeklong "blitz build."

With simple tools and some instructions, Habitat for Humanity volunteers and local churches are transforming once-empty lots into homes for two Cape Girardeau families.

The lots at 50 and 54 Green Acres Drive soon will become new residences for Regina Egbuka and Delois Jackson and their children. Another house is under construction at 44 Green Acres Drive.

Members of First Baptist Church and La Croix United Methodist Church are building two houses with Habitat for Humanity. Volunteers worked during the past week for a "blitz build" that began last Saturday and ends today.

First Baptist Church is not only providing the labor for the house at 50 Green Acres, but the congregation also is providing funding for the project. Even the children who attended vacation Bible school got a chance to help out: They collected enough pennies and other change during the week to buy a kitchen sink for the house.

Habitat for Humanity is designed to help eliminate housing problems in the United States and around the world. While Habitat for Humanity has chapters and affiliates nationwide, the local group also is an agency of the Area Wide United Way. Typically, a Habitat home can be built for about $38,000 since all labor is strictly volunteer.

Habitat homeowners are given no-interest loans for their homes and must contribute 350 hours of "sweat equity" toward construction, which often means working on projects other than their own house.

Rain early in the week delayed some construction, but both groups were happy with their progress. Neither had truly expected to finish their work in just one week.

"We're behind because the rain hit us," said the Rev. Ron Watts of La Croix United Methodist Church during a break at the 54 Green Acres Drive site.

Walls for the house were built Saturday and roofing continued throughout the week. Although the "blitz build" ends today, La Croix members will continue to work throughout the summer. La Croix also helped build a Habitat house last year.

"It's a way to be involved in our community and help with a real need," Watts said. "It demonstrates our faith in Christ."

Joan and Wayne McPherson have been working at the 50 Green Acres site since First Baptist Church began its project. The couple, retired from work at Southeast Missouri State University, have some construction experience but aren't experts, Joan said.

"We just believe in the cause: Giving a hand up instead of a handout," she said. "It's a very worthy project."

The McPhersons spent much of Thursday afternoon hanging siding and attaching soffits to the house's exterior. They've done other work too -- everything from digging trenches to hammering nails.

Carolyn Pickens, who helped La Croix, was amazed at the work that can be completed by the often inexperienced volunteers.

"We started with just a concrete slab," she said. And in just a short time that slab will become a family's house.

During a walk around the neighborhood, Pickens and another volunteer stopped at the site of last year's project. The homeowner invited them in to see the home after it had been decorated.

Pickens said she hadn't been to the house since it was dedicated last year, so seeing it now brought back a lot of the excitement for the project.

"There's a family living there, and I helped make that possible," she said.