August 10, 2010

Major donation to Crook County Habitat for Humanity

Crook County Habitat for Humanity has received a donation of $100,000, which represents the largest single donation in the chapter’s history. The donor is a Crook County resident who wishes to remain anonymous. When asked by Gerald Hill, Steering Committee Chair of Crook County Habitat for Humanity, why the donation was being made the donor provided the following statement:

“I believe having a home to call their own is one of the main building blocks of family life. And that’s what Habitat for Humanity does—it enables families to not just have a place to live, but to have a home. I’m also making this donation as a tribute to my late father, who would have been 100 this month.

“When I was growing up, Habitat didn’t exist, but if it had my family surely could have used it. For the first 12 years of my life, my family (mom, dad, two brothers and I) lived with my maternal grandparents. When I was about age 9, my father, who worked as a truck driver, had saved enough money to buy a small lot adjacent to my grandparents’ home. After another year, he had saved enough to have the site excavated and a foundation pored. We lived on a dead end street, and at the end was the town dump, so there was a constant parade of trucks going by. My father put a sign in front of the foundation saying ‘clean fill wanted.’ Lo and behold, we soon had all the dirt we needed for filling around the foundation. With that success, he put up another sign—‘good lumber wanted.’ It turned out to be less successful. About half the lumber was useable, and the rest we had to haul to the dump ourselves.

“My father then hired a (family friend) contractor to create a rough frame for the house, with my father working as his helper. Thereafter, my father worked nights after work and on weekends to finish the framing. He bartered his manual labor for the plumbing and electrical work, and a friend from church helped him with dry-walling. I marvel now at how determined and dedicated he was, and regret how uninvolved I was. But school, Boy Scouts, Little League, and my paper route kept me busy. My father did all of the interior finish work, including laying oak flooring in the bedrooms. My mother and I were responsible for filling the nail holes with a messy mix of sawdust and glue. My index fingers became so worn down from rubbing that, for several years thereafter, I didn’t leave any fingerprints from these two fingers.

“After three years, the dream that started as an empty lot and then became a house had finally become a home. My parents were so proud, and justifiably so. Everyone who visited had to take the full tour, including hearing my father’s philosophy of building—‘I used three nails where others would use only two.’ (I believe this mirrored his philosophy of life as well.) My feelings were more selfish—I finally had a bedroom that I didn’t have to share with my younger brothers. But we also each felt better about ourselves…more confident in taking on life’s other challenges. That’s part of the deeper roots family members develop when they have a home of their own. Even though I haven’t lived back there for many decades, that feeling, those roots are still part of me.

“In economically challenging times like these, especially in places like Crook County, many folks are hurting. But there are others (like me) who, even though we’re also anxious about what the future holds, have the ability to help those who are struggling. Doing so is part of the community-building process. So, I urge everyone to donate in whatever way possible—your money, your time and talents, your surplus materials. If not to Habitat for Humanity, then give to another non-profit organization. Our community will be better off because of it.”

According to Hill, this donation, when coupled with expected volunteer labor and some donated materials, will enable at least two new energy-efficient homes to be built for qualifying families in Crook Count. Crook County Habitat for Humanity is a chapter of the Bend Area Habitat for Humanity; its website is www.bendhabitat.org.