Colorado Timber Resources in Parshall has donated all of the lumber and other materials so Habitat for Humanity of Grand County can build storage sheds for our new homes in Hot Sulphur Springs. Thanks to co-owner Dave Fiala and his team for their generosity, and to the hardy volunteers who have turned out in the cold weather of recent weeks to begin building those sheds from scratch!
Thanks to large group of volunteers, we made terrific progress on House #14 during the weekend of Sept. 23 and 24. With many of the regular crew unavailable, volunteers Bryan McCay and Jon Letendre (in photo), along with prospective homeowner Lacey Lund and contractor George Davis from Maple Street Builders, spearheaded a busy weekend in which we finished the siding and timber work on the driveway, installed all of the windows, and prepped the roof for installation by the good folks at The Roofing Company. We hope to have the house dried in by the end of next weekend so the furnace can be installed. Then we’ll break ground on House #15 before the snow flies! If this momentum continues, we’re on track to nearly quadruple our normal capacity in 2022-2023.
House #14, which began rising in Hot Sulphur Springs in May, took shape more quickly than anticipated because of an outpouring of volunteer help and the hard work and design choices of prospective homeowner Lacey Lund. We’re hoping to have a roof and windows installed in the coming weeks, and also break ground for the foundation on House #15. It’s been a productive summer for Habitat for Humanity of Grand County! Want to help? Contact Executive Director Lisa Cooper at lcooper@habitatgrandcounty.org.
House #14 is ready for its roof and windows, and were prepping to break ground on House #15 next door within the coming weeks.
Prospective Habitat homeowners Michael Bunker and Lacey Lund at House #14 in Hot Sulphur Springs
The increased building pace of our invigorated volunteers has led to a happy consequence — the chance to build relationships between Habitat neighbors in Hot Sulphur Springs. Michael Bunker, who soon will complete the purchase of House #13 and move in with his three children, has been doing final finish work on his own house, but also has been helping frame House #14 next door alongside prospective homeowner Lacey Lund. This is how Habitat for Humanity of Grand County is building a community, one house at a time.
Thanks to extraordinary volunteer turnout in July 2022, the framing work on House #14 proceeded at an astounding pace — from foundation to what you see here in just four weeks, including a front deck, gable roof, and a driveway retaining wall. Thanks to Bob “The Builder” Kittler and another professional framer for their guidance, as well as our regular volunteers and community groups such as SKP for making it happen. We hope to continue the momentum on House #15 in the coming weeks, with the goal of getting both houses dried in before the snow flies. Help us get local families into these homes as quickly as possible! Contact Executive Director Lisa Cooper at 970-887-9138 or lcooper@habitatgrandcounty.org today!
Long-time Habitat board member and job site MVP Dick Schamberger underwent heart bypass surgery recently after suffering a minor heart attack. We’re not saying his recent exertions assembling our affiliate’s first IKEA kitchen are responsible, but that project did involve a lot of swearing. Wife Ann reports that Dick came through the July 8, 2022, surgery in great shape, and we look forward to him returning to his passion for community service as soon as possible.
Despite the intensity of the mid-summer sun, Habitat for Humanity of Grand County’s fourteenth house is rising at 240 Nevada Street in Hot Sulphur Springs. It’s the first project in a busy summer for the affiliate, which also hopes to break ground on House #15 within the coming weeks. Prospective House #14 homeowner Lacey Lund has been a hard-working partner so far, and HFHGC supervising contractor George Davis of Maple Street Builders has worked through both knee replacement and eye surgery to meet the affiliate’s ambitious construction deadlines.
One of the central tenets of Habitat for Humanity is that selected homeowners become partners in the construction of their own home. In late May, Lacey Lund, a single mom from Fraser, logged the first of her minimum 200 hours of “sweat equity” to make her dream of home ownership a reality. If she completes the program, she and her two youngest children will live in House #14 built by Habitat for Humanity of Grand County in Hot Sulphur Springs.
The foundation, footers, and crawl space are rising on a Hot Sulphur Springs lot adjacent to the two homes Habitat for Humanity of Grand County has completed since 2017. The small but energetic volunteer workforce hopes to break ground on yet another house along the same seven-lot stretch by mid-summer, aiming to complete both by spring 2023. To make that dream a reality, HFHGC needs more volunteers willing to pitch in. No experience necessary! Please contact Executive Director Lisa Cooper if you can help in any way. Let’s rise to Grand County’s urgent need and get hard-working families into these affordable homes ASAP.
With the snow mostly gone, workers have been excavating the lot for House #14 and preparing to start framing. Today was foundation-pouring day, even as work continues to finish up House #13 next door for Michael Bunker and his family.
