Starke/Pulaski Habitat for Humanity Preparing to Build Fifth Home

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The Starke/Pulaski Habitat for Humanity organization is gearing up to start construction on their fifth house, but first they must complete one very crucial step: choosing a lucky family in need to live in the home. Steve Morrison, president of Starke/Pulaski Habitat for Humanity, said they held two meetings last week to discuss the effort and allow interested families to take applications for the Habitat home.

Morrison said once the applications have been completed and returned, Habitat for Humanity will determine if anyone interested qualifies for the assistance, and then members of the organization will visit their homes and determine who is in the most need of a new house. Then, he explained, they will select the family and build them a home.

“At our meeting, we handed out a packet, an application, and some guidelines and information requests, and they are to return that information to me by March 8, and then from there we will evaluate and determine who is eligible and who is in the most need of decent, affordable housing,” Morrison explained.

Morrison said the organization’s first house was completed in 2001 with an estimated construction length of six months. He said Habitat for Humanity is only able to work on Saturdays with volunteer construction workers, but with a high volume of volunteers – from churches, the VFW, and other groups – the organization is able to build the homes on a weekend-volunteer basis.

Morrison said he’s been with the organization for more than 10 years, and the organization goes a long way to improving the lives of families in need.

“It’s something I’ve been involved in for quite a few years; we started our organization in 1999, and it’s just a way of being of service, giving back to the community, and helping those persons or families that are in need of decent, affordable housing. It makes better for a family condition and all-around person,” Morrison said.

While Habitat for Humanity has not yet begun construction of the house, Morrison said that’s because they have not yet chosen a family for whom to build. He said the family is a crucial factor in how the house is built: how many bedrooms, a floor plan, where the home should be located… Morrison said the house is built to suit their needs.

The construction is not expected to kick off until April at the earliest, when Morrison said they will likely break ground and build the home.