Local Habitat to partner with National Guard to build houses
December 4, 2019
Charlea Estes-Jones
With a little luck, the next Habitat for Humanity House in Barry County will be built with plenty of extra hands next year. A potential partnership with a local Army National Guard platoon will provide the local Habitat with the boots on the ground to put up the house in just two weeks.
Habitat for Humanity board president David Hermann said a sergeant with the Pierce City National Guard reached out to him to offer to help on the group's next house.
Hermann said, "[Sergeant First Class Derek Acheson] had read an article about us, and then he contacted me and said he was interested in finding out what they can do to work with us.
"When I asked him what they wanted to do, I asked if he was interested in, like wanting to paint and help clean up, something along those lines, and he told me 'No, we want to do the construction. We want to do the roof, framing, electrical, plumbing, everything."
Hermann said he was obviously shocked and overjoyed at the prospect of a group coming in and building the house from the ground up.
SFC Acheson said if the project is approved through the Guard's battalion and brigade through the state, two different platoons will be available to help the Habitat in south Barry County as well as the Habitat for Humanity in the Monett area.
Hermann said he invited Acheson to the Habitat for Humanity's board meeting on Nov. 19. Hermann said, "At the board meeting, it was great. There was great interaction. The board fielded a lot of questions to him."
Acheson said, "We specialize in vertical construction. We have everything from carpenters and electricians to plumbers in our unit. We have a new commander who came on board around April, and we are constantly looking for things for our annual training. She'd mentioned something about Habitat for Humanity, and we researched ways to be able to do it."
Acheson said that last year, the unit did a community center construction project in Guyana. For next year, they are looking to help in the local community.
Hermann said since the local Habitat can only do one house a year, the help offered by the National Guard would be much appreciated and make the construction process much quicker.
The group is nearing completion on its seventh house, and Hermann said he wants the family to be in their home by Christmas. The seventh build is located on the corner of Oak Hill and 8th Streets in Cassville. After that, the next family has already been selected and they will begin that build in Wheaton.
Acheson is hoping to get approval to assist with that build at the same time they assist with a Monett Habitat build. However, he assures that he won't give up until they get approval in the future.
Acheson said, "It's not a definite go for this upcoming year. If we can't make it happen for the May or June time frame, then we're definitely going to pursue it for the 2021 time frame. Because we got started so late in the approval process, we may not be able to get it done in time, but we may be able to get it done for next year."
The decision on whether the project is approved for 2020 will come in February or March, according to Acheson.
Acheson added, "It's good for us because we need to practice that stuff. So it helps us and helps the Habitat. The soldiers are getting training in our Military Occupational Skill. I definitely see it getting approved, we just won't know about this year or not."
Acheson hopes that each of the two platoons of 40 soldiers each will be able to work on a house for the South Barry County Habitat and the one in the northern part of the county at the same time. He requested to Hermann that the footings be in place and the materials available, and the soldiers will come in and finish the house in two weeks. Acheson said they will complete the framing, plumbing, electricity, dry wall and even the cabinet installation.
Hermann said that while he is grateful for the help, he also wants to let the community know there is still plenty for volunteers to do. He said, "Now that the Army says they can come in and do it all, but we don't want to discourage anyone from coming in to help, because we want it to be people in the community working together."
Hermann added that the Habitat for Humanity is taking donations for the upcoming Wheaton home build for next year, and the local Habitat for Humanity ReStore is also running a sale through the end of the year to drum up additional funding.
Hermann said, "We'll start talking with the prospective new home owners soon, and we need to raise some more money to get started. We want to make sure we have enough in our account to build that home, so we need to do some fundraising. I want people who might even have $10 or $15 to donate can think about us and donate to Habitat."
He added, "We are also running everything in the store is half price except for paint. The whole atmosphere inside the ReStore is great right now, too. We have anywhere between five and ten people in the back on any given day volunteering, and there is music, and people are having so much fun. I really want people to come by."
The Habitat for Humanity ReStore is located at 900 10th St. in Cassville.
To mail donations, send them to: PO Box 223 Cassville, MO 65625. To volunteer or ask about donations, call the ReStore at (417) 846-0110.
Charlea Estes-Jones
With a little luck, the next Habitat for Humanity House in Barry County will be built with plenty of extra hands next year. A potential partnership with a local Army National Guard platoon will provide the local Habitat with the boots on the ground to put up the house in just two weeks.
Habitat for Humanity board president David Hermann said a sergeant with the Pierce City National Guard reached out to him to offer to help on the group's next house.
Hermann said, "[Sergeant First Class Derek Acheson] had read an article about us, and then he contacted me and said he was interested in finding out what they can do to work with us.
"When I asked him what they wanted to do, I asked if he was interested in, like wanting to paint and help clean up, something along those lines, and he told me 'No, we want to do the construction. We want to do the roof, framing, electrical, plumbing, everything."
Hermann said he was obviously shocked and overjoyed at the prospect of a group coming in and building the house from the ground up.
SFC Acheson said if the project is approved through the Guard's battalion and brigade through the state, two different platoons will be available to help the Habitat in south Barry County as well as the Habitat for Humanity in the Monett area.
Hermann said he invited Acheson to the Habitat for Humanity's board meeting on Nov. 19. Hermann said, "At the board meeting, it was great. There was great interaction. The board fielded a lot of questions to him."
Acheson said, "We specialize in vertical construction. We have everything from carpenters and electricians to plumbers in our unit. We have a new commander who came on board around April, and we are constantly looking for things for our annual training. She'd mentioned something about Habitat for Humanity, and we researched ways to be able to do it."
Acheson said that last year, the unit did a community center construction project in Guyana. For next year, they are looking to help in the local community.
Hermann said since the local Habitat can only do one house a year, the help offered by the National Guard would be much appreciated and make the construction process much quicker.
The group is nearing completion on its seventh house, and Hermann said he wants the family to be in their home by Christmas. The seventh build is located on the corner of Oak Hill and 8th Streets in Cassville. After that, the next family has already been selected and they will begin that build in Wheaton.
Acheson is hoping to get approval to assist with that build at the same time they assist with a Monett Habitat build. However, he assures that he won't give up until they get approval in the future.
Acheson said, "It's not a definite go for this upcoming year. If we can't make it happen for the May or June time frame, then we're definitely going to pursue it for the 2021 time frame. Because we got started so late in the approval process, we may not be able to get it done in time, but we may be able to get it done for next year."
The decision on whether the project is approved for 2020 will come in February or March, according to Acheson.
Acheson added, "It's good for us because we need to practice that stuff. So it helps us and helps the Habitat. The soldiers are getting training in our Military Occupational Skill. I definitely see it getting approved, we just won't know about this year or not."
Acheson hopes that each of the two platoons of 40 soldiers each will be able to work on a house for the South Barry County Habitat and the one in the northern part of the county at the same time. He requested to Hermann that the footings be in place and the materials available, and the soldiers will come in and finish the house in two weeks. Acheson said they will complete the framing, plumbing, electricity, dry wall and even the cabinet installation.
Hermann said that while he is grateful for the help, he also wants to let the community know there is still plenty for volunteers to do. He said, "Now that the Army says they can come in and do it all, but we don't want to discourage anyone from coming in to help, because we want it to be people in the community working together."
Hermann added that the Habitat for Humanity is taking donations for the upcoming Wheaton home build for next year, and the local Habitat for Humanity ReStore is also running a sale through the end of the year to drum up additional funding.
Hermann said, "We'll start talking with the prospective new home owners soon, and we need to raise some more money to get started. We want to make sure we have enough in our account to build that home, so we need to do some fundraising. I want people who might even have $10 or $15 to donate can think about us and donate to Habitat."
He added, "We are also running everything in the store is half price except for paint. The whole atmosphere inside the ReStore is great right now, too. We have anywhere between five and ten people in the back on any given day volunteering, and there is music, and people are having so much fun. I really want people to come by."
The Habitat for Humanity ReStore is located at 900 10th St. in Cassville.
To mail donations, send them to: PO Box 223 Cassville, MO 65625. To volunteer or ask about donations, call the ReStore at (417) 846-0110.
