Supply firm donates building materials for Habitat house

A local building supply company is donating materials, money and manpower to help build a home for a Cape Girardeau family.

Bob Bohnsack, executive director of the Cape Area Habitat for Humanity, said Buchheit has committed to funding most of the construction for a house at 633 S. Henderson Ave. in Cape Girardeau. The company will kick off an in-store fund-raising drive Friday and is planning a charity golf tournament on Aug. 3 to raise more money for Habitat. Buchheit employees also have been encouraged to donate their time by working at the construction site.

"They're really getting excited and getting behind the whole concept," Bohnsack said.

Buchheit is supplying building materials such as lumber, windows, shingles, siding, sheetrock and doors to the house on Henderson Avenue, which is about half done, Bohnsack said. The company also is providing some supplies at discounted prices for another Habitat for Humanity house at 1115 Cousin St.

He said some other local companies also have been involved in the project, mostly supplying materials that Buchheit could not. Petzoldt Construction has provided the subflooring, Matt-Con Services supplied the footing, Coomer Plumbing installed the plumbing and Heartland Wood Products built the roof trusses.

Bohnsack said it is difficult to put a dollar amount on what Buchheit is doing because the project is ongoing.

But "that doesn't really matter, because it's not really about dollars and cents," he said. "It's about helping people who couldn't normally afford to buy a home."

Joyce Hunter, marketing director for Buchheit, said the company formally announced its commitment to Habitat earlier this month.

She said as part of its fund-raising drive, Buchheit will sell yellow and blue cutouts of houses for $1 and $5 donations at each of its five stores, in Jackson, Perryville, Mo., Herculaneum, Mo., Sparta, Ill., and Jacksonville, Ill.

Hunter said each location has set a goal of raising $2,000 for Habitat, with half the money coming from the paper cutouts and half coming from a fund raiser of each store's choice. Buchheit's corporate offices will raise an additional $1,000.

Hunter said the Jackson location got started early and has already raised about $500.

"They're really getting into it," she said. "I think they have one lady that's been chasing people down and sharing the great news about how they can help out. And so far, the community has been very generous."

Hunter said Buchheit plans to continue its partnership with Habitat with more donations and fund raisers in the future.

wmcferron@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 127