CSX Railroad Employees Volunteer to Install Floor

Locomotive engineers, conductors and other employees from the CSX Railroad stationed out of the Evansville yards volunteered Wednesday, September 22, and laid the floor deck at 804 Meadow Street. On a near-record breaking 97 degree last day of summer, these volunteers worked inspite of the heat to further along the construction on Habitat's 49th house in Henderson. Thanks for all the hard work!

Habitat's Build-Sites Are For Learning Too!

Instructor Brad Moyes uses Habitat's building site as a "hands-on" classroom for construction skills to Junior and Senior students from Henderson County High School. The high school's Construction Technologies classes are involved in helping to build Habitat's 49th house in Henderson as they have been with several Habitat houses in the past several years. Students learn valuable carpentry skills and techniques as they help lay out the house and work from the foundation to the roof ridge, inside and out.

Generally, Habitat volunteers can learn a lot of different skills from those who manage and supervise the construction site during a house-build. More than a few times a volunteer has said at the end of a work session, "Now I can go home and do this at my own house!" Habitat volunteers do not have to be skilled to work at a job site, just willing--willing to do whatever needs to be done, willing to take instruction, willing to help someone else.

In addition to the high school classes working at the Meadow Street site, Habitat's Thursday Crew is there most Thursday mornings and a Saturday Crew meets there most every Saturday morning. Volunteers are welcome. To confirm a work session or to inquire of what will be the task of the day, simply call 869-9011. Come join the effort and perhaps learn something new!

Habitat's Thursday Crew Builds Ramp

Some of the members of Henderson Habitat's Thursday Crew stand on a wheelchair ramp they recently built and installed at a Hebbardsville residence so that a quadriplegic homeowner can easily and safely inter and exit his home. Materials for the ramp were paid for by a grant from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Cincinnati through its member, the Ohio Valley Financial Group. These retired volunteers meet weekly for breakfast and then a morning's work helping build Habitat's houses and accomplish other good deeds for people in need. Newcomers are most welcome to join in the fun, fellowship and good work. Simply call Habitat for more information (869-9011).

Old National BanCorp Grant Helps Fund House Build

Tony Krampe and staff representing the Old National Bank Foundation present a check for $8,000 to Habitat Board President R. Paul Bird, Jr., helping to fund the building of Habitat's 49th house in Henderson. The house is also being subsidized by a grant from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Cincinnati through its member bank, the Ohio Valley Financial Group. Both grants will help to pay much of the $65K estimated costs of construction. This particular Habitat house is also funded by the early mortgage pay-off of the fourth Habitat house to be built in Henderson, the home of Mrs. Annie Sallier constructed in the early 1990s.

Foundation Work Starts Construction of #49

Employees of Jeff O'Risky's Escavating Company, Evansville, assemble the forms for the poured concrete foundation walls for Habitat's 49th house. Mr. O'Risky has donated the labor and materials for the footings and stem-wall foundation which will have a finish as if it were a brick masonry wall. The ten inch wide walls will provide a sure and sturdy foundation for the new house.

Starting House #49

Regina Houston (in red stripe) and her daughters attend the Ground Breaking of their new home at 804 Meadow Street, Henderson's 49th Habitat house, Sunday, August 15th. Standing with their mother is Kendra, Breya and Keyana. The family looks forward to being able to move out of the delapidated, trailer they presently rent just after the new year.

House #48 Dedicated June 23rd

A happy Martinez family stands in front of their new home at 837 Clay Street before a dedication crowd of more than one hundred people, most of whom volunteered to help build the house. Employees of the Independence Bank, the Neel, Wilson & Clem law firm, the Hazex Construction Company, the Gary Shoulders Construction Company and Habitat's Thursday Crew donated their time to finish construction eleven weeks after construction began.