Catholics hammer home a message of hope

Instead, as they unpacked, more than 200 volunteers from across the country, news media and clergy prepared for a Mass of dedication the next day -- for the house they had built for the Richards family in just five days.

The "blitz build," one of the first house-buildings of its kind in the Albany Diocese, was a joint project of national organizations Habitat for Humanity (HFH), which builds and rehabilitates homes for low-income families; and the Catholic Daughters of the Americas (CDA), an organization of laywomen that participates in spiritual and social action programs.

Pitching in

So Mrs. Richards was ready to work when about 90 Catholic Daughters from all over the U.S. and Puerto Rico joined her and the HFH volunteers last week to begin framing the walls of the house on Osborne Street in Albany.

"The impact is so dramatic from Monday morning, when there's just a slab [at the site], to Saturday, when they move in," said blitz coordinator Sister Betsy Van Deusen, CSJ, an HFH board member who also directs St. John's Center in Albany through Catholic Family and Community Services. "It's been just wonderful to watch."

Working together

Still, building a house may not be something normally associated with CDA, said public relations director Mary Moore.

"The Catholic Daughters are extraordinary in terms of the work they do," she noted. "They help out at the local level in parishes, at the state level and even the international level -- but we also have a legislative agenda and social outreach."

Nails and drywall

But that's just what the volunteers did. Within a few days, walls, drywall and insulation were in place, and volunteers working in two shifts had begun to paint the house.

The builders were aided by local professionals who donated their time, including several from businesses that donated materials. Curtis Lumber, Associated Builders and Contractors, RNC., the BH Group, Colonial Plumbing and Heating and Hamilton Plumbing were among those who contributed to the building.

Parishes help out

"It brought out the whole Catholic community to be involved," said Ms. Moore, calling the HFH projects "a form of evangelization that's going on amongst Catholics that's pretty potent -- and that's the goal of Habitat, as well."

Emotional moment

"She kept saying, `Sister, I don't know how to say thank you enough -- this has always been my dream, and it's becoming a reality this week,'" the nun reported.

Volunteers felt the emotion of the moment, as well. Ms. Moore told The Evangelist that "you work together for a short period of time, but you get close to the family" who will own the house.

BY Friday, the builders had accomplished their astonishing task: Working from 7 a.m.-5 p.m. for five days, they had built and finished an entire home. The building was inspected on Friday afternoon, and the Richardses moved in on Saturday.

Mass of dedication

The Catholic Daughters have committed to making their partnership with HFH an annual event, and Sister Betsy called their contributions "delightful. It's been a whole lot of fun. Habitat is something people want to be involved with and want to make happen."

But when the event was finally over, it was a touching moment for all the volunteers. Ms. Moore told The Evangelist, "Our love and our hard work are in those walls."

(To contact Habitat for Humanity, call 462-2993. To contact the Catholic Daughters of the Americas, call 993-2837.) [[In-content Ad]]