D-M teams up with Habitat for Humanity to build home

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Jamie L. Coggan
  • 355th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
DAVIS-MONTHAN AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. --  Airmen from D-M teamed up with members of the Tucson community Sept. 11 (Building Freedom Day), volunteering their time and skills to build homes during Tucson's eighth annual Habitat for Humanity event.

Habitat for Humanity is a program that partners with people who can afford to pay the mortgage for the new home, but are living in substandard housing.

The new homeowners volunteer as well, spending 80 hours in construction and 40 hours of classes. They pay $50,000 for the house with an interest-free 20- to 30-year mortgage and in the end they receive a 1,000-square-foot, three-bedroom, 1 1/2 bathroom brand-new home.

"Sept. 11 was a tragedy," said Col. Robert Singleton, 355th Fighter Wing vice commander. "What came out of it was normal, ordinary people coming together and doing extraordinary things."

Construction is performed by volunteer labor, and many companies donate construction materials. Some work, like plumbing and wiring, is done by professionals. The beneficiaries get a brand new, landscaped home.

Despite 90 degree plus temperatures, the volunteers completed a number of odd jobs from building the house frames to installing vinyl siding on newly built homes.

"It was a little humbling to see how fast they were able to construct these homes," said Staff Sgt. Charles Clayton, a volunteer from the 355th communications Squadron. "A true testament to the power of people working together for a cause. I was honored to be able to take part in something so extraordinary and will definitely be on board next year."

Over the past seven years, more than 6,000 Tucson-area volunteers have come together to construct 59 homes, changing the lives of these families forever.