March 12, 2003
Church helps make house a home
Spaghetti dinner fund-raiser for family's Habitat for Humanity project
By Carol South
Herald contributing writer
Members of the St. Patrick's Catholic Church parish gathered Sunday afternoon to help a family in need.
Throwing a spaghetti dinner, they fed 150 people and raised $700 to help the Ralston family get one step closer to their own home in Grawn, courtesy of the Habitat for Humanity Grand Traverse Region.
"The home we're raising money for will be built in our own backyard," said Caron Alpers, the event's organizer and the church's representative to the Circle of Twelve, an organization of local churches that is the task force sponsor of this Habitat house.
"This is a real family event, we have grandmothers all the way down to groups of teenagers helping out," Alpers noted. "The cool thing is that every single person working here knows each other and have run parties together before."
In addition to a spaghetti dinner, the fund-raiser included a bake sale and door prizes. Student volunteers from Traverse City West High School's government class and Traverse City St. Francis High School's honor society also assisted at the event.
"This event is very exciting because it helps to build community," said Nancy Kiogima, family services manager for Habitat for Humanity. "We're hoping to build five or six homes this year but affordable land is the hardest thing to find."
Rev. Jerry Micketti of St. Patrick's noted that while fundraising is crucial to the Habitat mission, volunteers are also important.
"We also need people to do the work, do the manual labor to build the house," he noted. "Can you swing a hammer? Can you slap paint on the wall? Can you rake, even for an hour. That's more important that writing a check."
The Ralston family includes mother Fran, her two teenage twin sons and her brother, Joey Davis. Both Fran and Joey have disabilities but have already put in 150 hours of sweat equity and are looking forward to having their own home.
While they could not attend the spaghetti dinner due to a medical problem, Kiogima said the family is very dedicated to Habitat.
"Fran is an amazing woman, always, always, always has a positive attitude," she noted. "She's legally blind and she has done anything we've asked her to do and she is just so enthusiastic."
Property has been located in Grawn and negotiations are underway. Once the purchase is complete, Alpers said Habitat for Humanity has until December 31 to put up the home, a tight deadline but one that can be met with community support.
"Groundbreaking probably can't happen until June 1 and we're just going to put out the plea to help," she said.
As word gets out about the Ralston home, she said volunteers are already signing up.
"People have walked up to me today and said, 'We'll help,'" Alpers said.
Todd and Merryann Korson of Northport attended the spaghetti dinner to put in some sweat equity hours of their own. The Korsons have been approved for a home in Northport. Without Habitat, they would not be able to have a home of their own for their family, which includes two children.
"It's been like winning the lottery," said Merryann Korson, recalling when the family was selected at the end of January. "I think it means so much more when you build you own house."
For more information on the Habitat for Humanity Grand Traverse Region or the Ralston family, call the Habitat office at 941-4663.