As craftsmen, it’s always satisfying to create a space that a homeowner will love. But the job can be even more rewarding when you’re building a home for someone who might otherwise not have one.
Recently a team from Apex volunteered to help Habitat for Humanity construct a two, three bedroom, two bathroom homes in Lawrence, Mass.
If you’re not familiar with Habitat for Humanity, they’re an Atlanta-based, international charity organization, which has made it its mission to build and repair homes for low-income families. There was a foundation on Monday and by the time we arrived they were ready for us to install the finishes.
http://www.nshoremag.com/Habitat-for-Humanity-Builds-a-Two-Family-House-in-Lawrence/
One of Apex’s owners, John Spagnoli , heard about the project through a local plumbing store and decided to volunteer his time to work on the project along with carpenters Bill Kennedy and Tim Anderson. Also joining the team was Apex subcontractor, Bill Lasher from Bill Lasher Tile.
“There are millions of families in this country who can’t find safe and affordable homes,” says Spagnoli. “We wanted to do what we could to help out.”
Habitat is chipping away at the nation’s housing problem, one family at a time. The organization has more than 1,400 Habitat for Humanity affiliates in the U.S. and volunteers have built more than 30,000 homes for American families since 1978.
Plumbers, electricians and builders, like Apex, who donate their time, make it possible for low-income families to buy these Habitat Homes affordably, taking advantage of specially designed mortgages.
The Apex crew spent the day installing sub-flooring in upstairs bedrooms, building in bathroom vanities and kitchen cabinetry and tacking molding to windows, doorways and baseboards.
Large crews on site help these homes take shape quickly, but it’s a long day for volunteers.
“We were certainly tired by the end of the night, but we were glad to be there,” says Spagnoli. “There are few things more gratifying that building something that can make such a monumental difference in the life of a family.”
Many local businesses donated food and drinks to keep us working.
People volunteering to put on a song and dance to keep morale up as the day got long
