Mary Tutwiler

Habitat for Humanity calls for volunteers

by Mary Tutwiler

Beginning April 21, hammers will be ringing in Kaplan as Habitat for Humanity tackles a four week building blitz. The first six of 12 houses for Hurricane Rita victims are slated to be completed within the next month. In March, over 100 college students from across the state built a dozen backyard sheds for the home sites during X-Treme Spring Break. While volunteers from nine churches across the country will be working with the Baptist World Alliance to supply labor for the project, more workers are needed to meet the May 17 target date for completion. Lafayette Habitat for Humanity is calling for local volunteers to help out with this year’s project.

Habitat has been building houses in Acadiana since 1991. Before the storms of 2005, the organization was completing four to five houses a year. After 2005 building accelerated into the double digits. Last year, 13 houses went up in Lafayette, bringing the total to 54 houses. Habitat requires recipients of the homes to put in 500 sweat equity hours as well as paying a mortgage, which is interest free.

Volunteers must be 16 or older, and be willing to spend at least one full day, if not more, at the building site. Registration is required. The project will run Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., April 21 to May 16. To sign up or make a contribution , call 261-5041, or email [email protected].