The wind was howling and snow was flying. I looked out of my kitchen window and wondered if there would be any volunteers at the Habitat for Humanity home on such a cold day.
I was about to find out. I dressed warmly and headed out the door for one of the more unique assignments in recent memory. I was volunteering at Lee and Tia Webb’s home in
Orem. ABC 4 has partnered with Habitat for Humanity on the project. The goal is to take action, to help a family in need. The Webb family certainly meets, and exceeds in that category. Lee had a terrible accident at work, Tia suffered setbacks after surgery. The couple was financially devastated. They moved into a small two bedroom home with their four kids to try to dig their way out of a desperate situation.
They applied for Habitat for Humanity help, not really believing it would be possible to be lucky enough to be selected. The organization accepts applications based on the level of need, willingness to cooperate with the number of hours required in sweat equity, and the ability to pay of the loan on a home. Lee and Tia were picked, and their house building odyssey began! It will mean five hundred hours of labor for the couple, shared between family and friends. It will also include meeting hundreds of volunteers, who show up to use donated materials, to put a new roof over their heads. The couple says it’s a dream come true.
I pulled in front of the home and was slightly alarmed to see that not all of the walls were erected and instead of sanders, paint brushes and finishing hammers, circular saws and nail guns were the tools of the day! The snow was still swirling through home when I entered to find numerous volunteers doing their best to sturdy-up the main supports that will eventually hold up a roof. Lee said no one was scheduled to volunteer but they came anyway, from Wells Fargo, from Salt Lake Fire, from BYU, and yes, ABC 4.
We braved the cold, and got some work done. Some were better at it than others. (I consider my greatest contribution the homemade hot chocolate and donuts I served up) but we all played a roll, and at the end of the day, the Webbs are one step closer to a home of their own.
I can see why Habitat for Humanity manages to draw volunteers the world over to build homes. They have completed 300-thousand, providing 1.5 million people with safe, decent, affordable housing. The reason why people show up when it’s blowing snow is the ability of a warm heart to thaw frozen fingers.
