Habitat relies on volunteers from parishes

"Youth groups from our parish participated in this program," she told The Evangelist, referring to the painting of a home by the Confirmation class. "We thought it might be a constructive community service project for the eleventh grade students in our preparation program. The young people still drive by and say, 'I painted that house!'"

Ms. Miller, who has been actively involved with the Habitat program for about four years, is past treasurer of the Herkimer County affiliate. She is currently an executive committee member and chair of the finance committee.

Two others from the parish are involved in the Habitat program: Gary West, a shop teacher for the high school in Little Falls, is on the building committee, and Angie Oldfield is the current treasurer. All three are on the board of directors.

Pitching in

Volunteers try to do four of these small projects per year. So far, the group has completed two houses and several small work projects.

"One of our planned 'in-work projects' that will be beginning soon is the replacement of the foundation of a home owned by an elderly widow," she said. "We've been talking about this particular project for a while now. It will involve tenth grade students enrolled in the religious education program. Once the foundation has been replaced, the students will clean out the woman's basement for her. Right now, she cannot use it."

Homey touch

"The rehabilitation began when this family agreed to partner with Habitat," Ms. Miller noted. "They have three children, including one son that is both physically and mentally handicapped. We found an old, vacant house and purchased it by paying the back taxes. We had to build ramps and special doorways for the handicapped child, and heavily renovate the home. The house has four bedrooms, two baths, a kitchen and a living room, as well as a full basement."

According to Brad Haines, Habitat for Humanity's Herkimer County regional representative, county residents and church organizations have been continuously active in providing new housing as well as raising money for other projects, like the one undertaken by the Confirmation students.

"We have had a positive response from all the parishes we've approached," he said. They include St. Francis de Sales and St. Joseph/St. Anthony's in Herkimer, Annunciation in Ilion, and Our Lady Queen of Apostles in Frankfort. All are active in building projects as well as providing financial assistance through fund-raisers and Sunday collections.

Catholics involved

He was quick to add that other parishes -- including St. Joseph's in Dolgeville, Holy Family in Little Falls and Blessed Sacrament in Mohawk -- have not yet been contacted but plans to do so are "in the works" for the near future.

In organizing church partnerships at the local level, Habitat provides the arena for formal partnerships among churches of different denominations, implementing their "theology of the hammer" concept. These partnerships help pave the way for those churches to begin or expand their support of Habitat's ministry.

Jesus the carpenter

Additionally, they believe that "our love must not be words only, but a love that shows itself in action." When people act in response to human need, Habitat believes that God magnifies the effects of their efforts.

According to founder and president, Millard Fuller, "we may disagree on all sorts of other things,...but we can agree on the idea of building homes with God's people in need and in doing so, using biblical economics: no profit and no interest."

(In Herkimer County, if individual churches wish to participate on their own, they can do so by contacting Brad Haines at 315-894-3713. Churches outside Herkimer County can call 1-800-365-7990, or e-mail Habitat for Humanity at [email protected]. Information for this article was obtained in part from Habitat's website, www.habitat.org.)

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