August 25, 2004
Work Project breaks ground on first home
Habitat for Humanity plans to build four area Jimmy Carter Work Project homes
By Carol South
Herald contributing writer
With a combination of dirt, sweat and tears, five area families will have a new home by June 2005 thanks to the Jimmy Carter Work Project.
Sunday afternoon, Habitat for Humanity Grand Traverse Region held a groundbreaking ceremony in East Bay Township for the family of Char Wisniewski, the first recipient of a Work Project home. Hands for Habitat, a consortium of the Asbury United Methodist Church, the First Congregational Church and the Emmanuel United Methodist Church, is sponsoring the Wisniewski home.
Wisniewski, who is in the midst of serving her 275 sweat equity hours required by Habitat, turned over the first shovel full of dirt while the 45 attendees, prayed, sang and teared up. Each person added a pinch of dirt from other area Habitat Homes to Wisniewski's shovel, hoping to imbue the project with past successes.
"It's so exciting, I would have never gotten a home, not for years," said the mother of four children ages 6-17. "It's even hard to find rentals I can afford with four kids."
The remaining four Jimmy Carter Work Project homes in the region will be built during a blitz campaign next June. This is an ambitious but doable undertaking according to Robin Grubbs, executive director of Habitat for Humanity Grand Traverse Region.
In addition to the Jimmy Carter Work Project, the local Habitat also plans to build five other houses this year. The organization also held a groundbreaking ceremony Sunday afternoon next door to Wisniewski's lot for the future home of Anna Robinson and her four children.
The sheer numbers and focus of the Jimmy Carter Work Project are generating excitement around the state. More than 80 state Habitat affiliates, including one in Windsor, Ontario, will build 220 homes by June 24, 2005.
"This whole initiative is very exciting, Michigan is one of the four biggest Habitat states in the country," Grubbs said.
Grubbs noted that Michigan captured former President Carter's attention following riots in Benton Harbor in June 2003. He attributed the unrest to a growing gap between 'haves' and 'have nots' and was determined to make a difference.
"He started checking into the state and became so aware of this growing [economic] chasm in the state," Grubbs said. "He felt that instead of feeling bad about it, he wanted to come to Michigan and help heal the problem. One of the main things that Habitat does is we build communities."
The Habitat for Humanity Grand Traverse Region serves families and individuals in Grand Traverse, Benzie, Leelanau and Kalkaska counties. The organization has settled 60 families into homes since it was founded in 1987, some years building only two homes and others up to seven.
The high prices of land in the area limit the number of homes that can be constructed each year, noted Nancy Kiogama, family services manager for the organization.
"Our biggest roadblock is affordable land," she said.
Kiogama said that Habitat selects families based on three criteria: demonstrable need for adequate housing, ability to make house payments and willingness to partner with Habitat and put in 275 sweat equity hours.
The moment of selection is an emotional one for families, some of whom like Wisniewski have been waiting for more than two years.
"Even I was crying when I called the families," said Kiogama of a recent selection process. "I only met these people on a home visit and one was so emotional and so thankful and you can just feel they are so appreciative to be able to buy a home and provide their family with a decent and safe environment."