Columbus Area Habitat for Humanity celebrates volunteers | News

COLUMBUS, GA (WTVM)- On Friday,
October 19 Columbus Area Habitat for Humanity, Inc. will hold a volunteer
appreciation event to celebrate their volunteers.

These volunteers have,
just in the past year, provided more than 10,000 hours of volunteer assistance
on construction sites, in the retail store, and in the office.

Habitat will have
a volunteer appreciation event at the store located at 1080 Martin Luther King
Boulevard on Friday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Food, drinks and specials on
merchandise will be provided.

More than 7,000
of those hours have been on construction sites and reflect a donated value of
more than $140,000 in labor to build thirteen homes.  Volunteers donate time to frame, roof, paint,
finish and landscape homes for qualified Habitat homeowners who then pay a
20-year no-interest no-profit mortgage for their home.

Habitat's newest
homeowner, Wanda Banks, said, it was "…a dream come true. Wanting something,
working for it and see it happen.  A
dream come true."   Her home at 2043
Cusseta Road will be dedicated in a ceremony on Friday at 10 a.m.   This is the 271^st home built by
Habitat volunteers and was built by the students of Washington College during
Collegiate Challenge 2012.

Renovation
Station Volunteers like Ed Sears and Roger Smith, longtime store volunteers,
enjoy their time at the store.  Roger is a regular at the Renovation Station. He comes
to help almost every day when the store is open and does a little bit of everything.

"I
fit in where ever I can," Roger said. "To me it is fun and relaxing. I help
others when I am here and to me that is an advantage."

About Columbus Area Habitat for Humanity
Columbus Area Habitat for Humanity, Inc. was founded in 1984. Since that time,
over 270 homes have been constructed in the community.  These homes are built using volunteer labor
from community and military organizations, businesses, churches, schools and
individuals. Homeowners contribute over 500 hours of "sweat equity" toward the
construction of their home. Funding for homes come from individuals, businesses
and foundations.  Homes are then sold to
the homeowner with a no-interest, zero profit mortgage.  Mortgage payments are recycled to further
construction projects in the community.

About
Renovation Station

Renovation Station is located at 1080 Martin Luther King Boulevard
and is open Tuesday through Friday from 9:00 – 5:00.  Items for sale include home improvement
materials, appliances, furniture, cabinets, doors, windows, lighting and
plumbing.  All materials are donated and
most are new.  Renovation Station
partners with local contractors, building suppliers, businesses and individuals
to procure items for sale.  All proceeds from sales are used to construct
Habitat homes.

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