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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2009-09-23, Page 8Page 8 The Huron Expositor • September 23, 2009 News Habitat for Humanity looking for volunteers Susaq Huude•gtmark When the Habitat for Humanity Huron build occurred last year in Exeter, four women decided to take on the job of taking attendance at the build site every day as part of their morning walk. And, it's the small jobs like that one Habitat organizers for the Sea - forth build are hoping volunteers come forward to sign up for during a volunteer meeting tonight (Wednes- day, Sept. 23) at the Seaforth Legion from 7-9 p.m. "We're looking for as many people as we can get," says the. Seaforth build's co-chair Wendy Hutton. "They had 144. people in Exeter to work on the house alone. Some worked for only one day; some worked for a bunch of days." With the local fundraising com- mittee working on offering an event each month for the next year, Hutton says there will be sign-up sheets at tonight's meeting for many of those events. "A lot of people might be willing for an hour to sell two-by-fours or to sell hamburgers," says co-chair. Herb McGowan. "And, this is the perfect opportuni- ty for high school students and their volunteer hours," adds co-chair Doug Elliott. While close to 20 volunteers have already come forward to help sell two -by fours as a fundraiser at the Seaforth Fall Fair, there will be many more opportunities as the community gears up to the Seaforth Habitat build, which organizers hope to begin next May. The two-by-four fundraiser, which will also be offered at Ciderfest in Egmondville and at Oktoberfest in Exeter on the Sept. 26/27 weekend, involves buying a two-by-four for $20 and then signing your name or a message to the family who will live in the Habitat home. "Those are the two-by-fours that will actually be used to build the house," says McGowan. "Some people have written, 'Good luck in your new home' or 'Good luck in your new life,'" says Hutton. Sixty-nine two-by-fours were sold at the fair, raising $1,380. Other upcoming fundraising events include a beef on a bun fundraiser on Wednesday, Oct. 21 being organized by local churches. Volunteers are needed to take orders from Seaforth and area businesses, to assemble the meal and to deliver it to workplaces. Meals will also be offered at Northside Unit- ed Church for advanced orders who want to eat at the church. The meal will include beef on a bun, baked beans, coleslaw and a cupcake for $8 and must be preordered by Friday, Oct. 16. "There are 110 businesses in town and we're hoping they'll re- spond kindly and make an order," says organizer Marg Whitmore. SEAFXRTH INSURANCE BROKER LTD/FIIMG • Home • Commercial *Auto • Farm • Out of Province Travel Insurance 41 Main St. S. Seaforth 519-527-1610 Ken Cardnq Joanne Williamson, Colleen Bromlees Barb Watt and Chris Cardno ...to get the t need to Find a Give yourself the ad Attend a FREE One Day ✓, Resume Preparation / Interview Techniques Call your local Centre for Em Goderich 519-524-2515 Clinton 519-482-1700 Seaforth 519-527-0305 :.::.:..:..... . Ctrs ��Vi Habitat for Humanity Huron co-chairs Doug Elliott and Herb McGowan stand in front of the recently completed Habitat Home in Exeter, which the Seaforth build will look similar to. "We'd love to get over 500'orders." McGowan says a similar fundrais- er in Exeter raised $5,000. Other fundraisers include a raffle of a laptop computer, Ipod and big screen TV with tickets being sold from September to next March, a Nov 7 Taste of Huron ovent at the Queen's Inn where local restaurants and chefs will donate appetizers, which will be sold for $40 tickets, a three -on -three road hockey tourna- ment in April, a Habitat walk-a-thon in May. Volunteer opportunities also in- clude bringing coffee or lunch to the volunteers working on the build each day, helping to set up a blog on the computer and stuffing envelopes for mail -out campaigns. Building committee chair Joe Stef- fler says local building supply com- panies and tradespeople will soon be approached for their help, as well since donated materials and volun- teered expertise will be needed on the build. Steffler says that far every four vol- unteers on the job site, one experi- • No Drip Undercoating • Snow Tires and Tire Sales IC4 °ailed -ed. s or an Appointment ?r enced person will also be needed to volunteer their services. "We need fixtures, flooring, you name it - everything you need to build a house and we hope to keep everything as local as we can keep it," says Steffler. "We hope to have it all built on paper by the end of the year." Hutton says that while 13 people have asked for application forms' to live in the house, none of them have yet been handed in. "The next step is getting back to those people and asking if they need any help. Sometimes people get in- timidated by the form but it's quite an intense application form," she says. Signs have been erected in Sea- forth, Dublin, Winthrop and Wal- ton encouraging people to apply to live in the house. Applicants need to have lived in Huron County during the past two years. . The seven churches in the Seaforth area will also be holding a Habitat for Humanity service soon. Bruce Whitmore, of the faith part- nership committee, has made an in- formation package about Habitat for Humanity and the Seaforth build available to the churches. Last Sunday, he dressed up as a carpenter with a two-by-four over his shoulder to answer questions about Habitat for Humanity at Northside and Cavan United Churches. The single mom who moved into the Habitat home in Clinton was also on hand to tell the congregation how the experience changed her life. "All the volunteers who have come forward so far have been really great. They really care about getting rid of poverty housing in Huron County," says Elliott.