Media Coverage

Habitat house project starts to take form this spring

The Community Journal

June 29, 2007 - The Habitat for Humanity house proposed for Sherbert Road had passed the most recent two hurdles this spring as they prepare for construction.

The house is being built by the international non-profit organization, which relays heavily on volunteer labor and supplies to build homes for the homeless. The Sherbert Road house will be going to the McSparren family.

The group expects to start construction late this summer or early in the fall, but they still need to raise approx. $30,000.

At the town meeting in May, voters approved the donation of a second and contiguous parcel of land on Sherbert Road to Habitat so the land would be able to handle a sewer system. The sewer system is currently being designed and should soon be present to Board of Health along with a design for the placement of the house and driveway.

The perk test - which determines the suitability of the land for a septic system - was performed by Angel Lehtonen, owner of Northland Engineers, Inc. on Wednesday, June 13.

During the building process Lehtonen will also be inspecting the septic system numerous times. She is donating her time and resources to the project.

Other local business owners and employees have also been donating their time and/ or the equipment. Will Houghton and Joel Berg of Berg Contraction Construction of Ashburnham provided their services and equipment to dig the hole that Lehtonen used to perform the test. vThe group has not found a concrete form contractor yet who can set forms and pour footings and foundations, as well as complete a drywall taper.

In addition to additional money for supplies the Ashburnham group is looking for donations of a new washer, dryer and dishwasher for the home.

The group is looking for two volunteers to help during the course of the project. One is a site host, who is responsible for arriving on the site before the volunteers, greeting the homeowners and signing in volunteers, introducing everyone to each other and some small clean up tasks at the end of the day. The other position is a food coordinator, who would organize homemade snacks for the week, as well as solicit donations of drinks from local suppliers. They would also arrange to pick up coffee and donuts each workday.

Volunteers can arrange their time to fit within their schedule, so even that even helping out once a month would still be making an important contribution.

Those who are interested in donating supplies or other items in need, please contact the group at Ashburnhamhfh@ yahoo.com or call the Habitat office at (978) 348-2749.

To register as a volunteer or to fill one of the open positions mentioned above, send an e-mail to the address above or sign up to volunteer on the Habitat Web site at http:// www.ncmhabitat.org/volunteers.html.

The group will also have a table at the Ashburnham's Downtown Day on Saturday. Members will be selling handmade pins to benefit Habitat for Humanity as well as beautiful hand drawn note cards designed by local artists Louisa, Tyna and Wayne Donelson. The cards will be sold in sets of 6 for $5 and proceeds from these note cards will benefit the Ashburnham project.