“Baby, the Lord tells me you’re going to get your house; it’s a miracle house,” an elderly blind woman had told Fabienne Noel at the nursing home where she works.
“This was an Alzheimer patient who had no idea Fabienne had even applied to Habitat,” said Cyndy Hazelwood, one of 55 women working to raise the roof on affordable housing during Habitat for Humanity’s eighth annual National Women Build Week, sponsored by Lowes.
“So that’s why I call it my miracle house,” said Noel, who will move into her new home at the end of May. Noel moved here 16 years ago from Haiti and had applied three times to become a Habitat homeowner before being accepted. “In Haiti, everybody lived in one room. I told my kids, this is the first time we’re going to have a key to our own front door. I take none of this for granted.”
Like other hardworking Habitat homeowners, Noel works, attends school and has contributed hundreds of sweat equity hours to help make her dream a reality.
“People don’t realize what it takes to get a Habitat home,” said Hazelwood. “Most people are in the program at least a year before they get a house.”
“As with all our Habitat homeowners, these are deserving families who have worked through the process,” said Andy Bowler, Indian River Habitat executive director. “They’re soon to be proud mortgage-paying, tax-paying homeowners. She comes practically every evening with her kids. They sit in their car and look at their house and go through it. They just can’t wait.”
The women who strapped on tool belts last Thursday were doing their part to make sure the wait wouldn’t be much longer. The teams were working on the first six homes in the 51-lot Waterside subdivision, Habitat’s latest community – four will be dedicated in May and two in June. Construction will continue throughout the summer on the lovely south Vero property, which includes preserve land, a pond and trees.
The buzz of table saws, drills and hammers punctuated the quiet morning air, as some ladies measured, cut and applied siding and soffits, while others took on a host of quieter tasks, such as painting and caulking.
“I know I preach better than I caulk, said retired minister Maryann Ronan-Lamson with a smile.
“My neighbor has been doing it for years,” said Judy Stephens, caulking a closet. “I’m retired so I have time now.”
“This is my first time,” said Vikki Kerns, perched on a ladder installing soffits. “I wish I’d found out about it sooner because I would have been here on a regular basis.”
“We’ve had some challenges back here but Vikki’s been doing a fabulous time. It’s a learning experience,” added Maddie Higgins. “We moved here a couple of years ago and I found this group. It’s such a strong group of women who know their own identity and want to give back to their community.”
“Whether they volunteer here or the Restore or on committees; we certainly are grateful for their time, treasure and talent,” said Bowler, noting that about 80 percent of the 55 women that morning were first-time Habitat volunteers. “We hope they’ll come back again.”
Photos:
Samantha Curry and Lanie Frame (cutting)
Patti Burns (hammering)
Margaret Clelland (caulking)
Judy Stephens and Rev. Maryann Ronan-Lamson (caulking)
Trish Gabrielle and Maddie Higgins (soffit)
Johnnie Lee Perry and Pam Schlamowitz
Fabienne Noel and Cyndy Hazelwood
John Cruz, Maria Barreiro and Ysmael Zvala