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By Colette M. Jenkins
Beacon Journal staff writer
POSTED: 07:38 p.m. EDT, Oct 23, 2009
Habitat for Humanity's first volunteer was in Akron on Friday, spreading ''the Theology of the Hammer.
''Like Habitat's founder, the late Millard Fuller, said, 'Everyone can use a hammer to manifest God's love' by helping build houses for families,'' said Clive Rainey, 63. ''As we focus on working together to build a house, we are able to put aside our differences of opinion and recognize that the things that make us the same become more important than the things that keep us apart.''
Rainey joined Habitat for Humanity in 1977, soon after the organization was formed, becoming the first volunteer. For two years he worked with Millard and Linda Fuller at the headquarters in Americus, Ga. One of his early duties was serving as chairman of the family selection committee for the house-building program in Koinonia, a rural Christian community where the idea of building homes in partnership with the poor was born.
It was Rainey who brought the concept of sweat equity to Koinonia and Habitat after learning that developers of middle-class housing sometimes used a family's unskilled labor on their house in lieu of a down payment.
Rainey shared his message with a group of ministers during a luncheon at the House of the Lord and with staff, volunteers, donors and board members of Habitat's Summit County affiliate during a ''sneak peak'' tour of its new facility in the former Handy Andy store at 2301 Romig Road. The new facility, which is to open in January, will allow the local affiliate to move its entire operation to one location.
''We will be much more efficient because all three lines of our business — administrative offices, prefabrication and ReStore — will be under one roof,'' said Rochelle Fisher, executive director of Habitat for Humanity of Summit County. ''While this building will give us the space we need to build more homes for families in our community, we hope that our presence will provide a spark in this neighborhood.''
The new location, across the street from Rolling Acres Mall, was vacant before the renovations began for Habitat. After Handy Andy, a store that sold home building supplies, closed, the building deteriorated and the roof collapsed. A local construction company purchased the property and restored it by installing a new rubber roof, new wiring and lighting and a new facade.
''They really wanted to lease the building but we're all about ownership, so we needed to purchase the building,'' Fisher said. ''After about a year of negotiating, we came to an agreement and now we're preparing to move in.''
Habitat purchased the 66,000-square-foot building for $1.3 million, with a $300,000 contribution from the seller. It has launched a campaign to raise $2.2 million to pay for the purchase, renovation and moving expenses.
The new facility provides 45,000 square feet of additional space for the nonprofit group, which is best known for building homes through partnerships with low-income families. Habitat currently has 22,000 square feet in two buildings —one that houses its administrative office at 1177 Rosemary Blvd. and another that is home to its ReStore at 1020 Canton Road in Springfield Township. The ReStore sells donated new and used building supplies, furniture and appliances.
An additional 15,000 square feet will be used for storage or will be leased to another business. The new facility will allow Habitat to increase its building power from six houses a year to 15. It will also give the organization space for training staff and homeowners.
The prefabrication warehouse will allow framing to be done during bad weather and will give volunteers enough space to store framing for up to five houses and construct interior and exterior walls for two homes simultaneously. Its current location allows only for the prefabrication of walls for one home.
Habitat staffers expect to move into the new quarters in late December, when they have to be out of their current building because it has been sold. The ReStore will begin moving from its leased location in December and expects to be up and running in January. A grand opening is scheduled for Jan. 9.
''This affiliate now has its hammer, in this new facility, so there are no excuses for not building more homes for families in need,'' Rainey said. ''There are plenty of opportunities for people to be involved. They can swing a hammer, volunteer or make a donation.''
More information about the local Habitat affiliate can be found at http://www.hfhsummitcounty.org.
/>
Colette Jenkins can be reached at 330-996-3731 or cjenkins@thebeaconjournal.com.
Habitat for Humanity's first volunteer was in Akron on Friday, spreading ''the Theology of the Hammer.
''Like Habitat's founder, the late Millard Fuller, said, 'Everyone can use a hammer to manifest God's love' by helping build houses for families,'' said Clive Rainey, 63. ''As we focus on working together to build a house, we are able to put aside our differences of opinion and recognize that the things that make us the same become more important than the things that keep us apart.''
Rainey joined Habitat for Humanity in 1977, soon after the organization was formed, becoming the first volunteer. For two years he worked with Millard and Linda Fuller at the headquarters in Americus, Ga. One of his early duties was serving as chairman of the family selection committee for the house-building program in Koinonia, a rural Christian community where the idea of building homes in partnership with the poor was born.
It was Rainey who brought the concept of sweat equity to Koinonia and Habitat after learning that developers of middle-class housing sometimes used a family's unskilled labor on their house in lieu of a down payment.
Rainey shared his message with a group of ministers during a luncheon at the House of the Lord and with staff, volunteers, donors and board members of Habitat's Summit County affiliate during a ''sneak peak'' tour of its new facility in the former Handy Andy store at 2301 Romig Road. The new facility, which is to open in January, will allow the local affiliate to move its entire operation to one location.
''We will be much more efficient because all three lines of our business — administrative offices, prefabrication and ReStore — will be under one roof,'' said Rochelle Fisher, executive director of Habitat for Humanity of Summit County. ''While this building will give us the space we need to build more homes for families in our community, we hope that our presence will provide a spark in this neighborhood.''
The new location, across the street from Rolling Acres Mall, was vacant before the renovations began for Habitat. After Handy Andy, a store that sold home building supplies, closed, the building deteriorated and the roof collapsed. A local construction company purchased the property and restored it by installing a new rubber roof, new wiring and lighting and a new facade.
''They really wanted to lease the building but we're all about ownership, so we needed to purchase the building,'' Fisher said. ''After about a year of negotiating, we came to an agreement and now we're preparing to move in.''
Habitat purchased the 66,000-square-foot building for $1.3 million, with a $300,000 contribution from the seller. It has launched a campaign to raise $2.2 million to pay for the purchase, renovation and moving expenses.
The new facility provides 45,000 square feet of additional space for the nonprofit group, which is best known for building homes through partnerships with low-income families. Habitat currently has 22,000 square feet in two buildings —one that houses its administrative office at 1177 Rosemary Blvd. and another that is home to its ReStore at 1020 Canton Road in Springfield Township. The ReStore sells donated new and used building supplies, furniture and appliances.
An additional 15,000 square feet will be used for storage or will be leased to another business. The new facility will allow Habitat to increase its building power from six houses a year to 15. It will also give the organization space for training staff and homeowners.
The prefabrication warehouse will allow framing to be done during bad weather and will give volunteers enough space to store framing for up to five houses and construct interior and exterior walls for two homes simultaneously. Its current location allows only for the prefabrication of walls for one home.
Habitat staffers expect to move into the new quarters in late December, when they have to be out of their current building because it has been sold. The ReStore will begin moving from its leased location in December and expects to be up and running in January. A grand opening is scheduled for Jan. 9.
''This affiliate now has its hammer, in this new facility, so there are no excuses for not building more homes for families in need,'' Rainey said. ''There are plenty of opportunities for people to be involved. They can swing a hammer, volunteer or make a donation.''
More information about the local Habitat affiliate can be found at http://www.hfhsummitcounty.org.
/>
Colette Jenkins can be reached at 330-996-3731 or cjenkins@thebeaconjournal.com.
Comments
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Akron, OH
Posted 09:22 PM, 10/23/2009
I wanted to work with them, but some religious things on their part prevented me. The idea is great, though.
Norton, OH
Posted 11:19 AM, 10/24/2009
What kind of religion does not allow a person to learn how to convert a 4 storey building into a K-mart?
My neighbors (Catholic) both laid off and signing up for unemployment. One owned a small construction company the other drove tractor. The driver is taking classes at a local college learning how to be a heavy equipment operator, the other guy is learning how to upgrade what he already knows about construction.
Pollution has a lot to do with that. Learning how to dispose of toxic materials is one of those. Cannot back fill or use landfills for lots of things. He like learning all that too, since he owns his own company and been off work because of bad injury.
Posted 02:56 PM, 10/24/2009
Can a single responsible person get a house from them? Or do you have to have many kids that you can't support?
Orrville, Oh
Posted 03:25 PM, 10/24/2009
Natural Law: what Mother Nature, God, or Whatever Power decreed to be the reality of the real world, God, democracy, capitalism, the US Constitution, and free, fair, and affordable commerce demands: Every corporation, farmer, business, outsourcer sweatshop, and nonprofit, tax-exempt, organization and Church; markets the cost; in the wholesale and retail price of his or her product and service; Of every workers, consumers, and taxpayers living (including pension and health care); enabling parents to love, nurse, nurture, discipline, protect, and provide for every child (job) they conceive; and fund schools, infrastructure, national security, government services, and etc.; with money derived from wages or independent business profit.
Reality demands: Volunteers without wages; and nonunion parasites; willing to work for fewer wages than they can afford life; scam Fathers disqualified for affirmative action with white skin, Union workers, consumers, taxpayers, and Americas grandchildren’s children; to fund them; paying with welfare checks, food stamps, housing vouchers, and Medicaid; with money; derived from wages or independent business profit.
This defiance of realities demands; Makes housing UNAFFORDABLE; Makes free, fair, and affordable commerce IMPOSSIBLE; Makes funding schools, infrastructure, and etc. IMPOSSIBLE; Makes balancing every budget IMPOSSIBLE; Makes union workers, consumers, taxpayers, and America’s grandchildren’s children LIFE UNAFFORDABLE; and created the $40 trillion social security and the $9.3 trillion national debt. America’s grandchildren’s children are responsible to pay interest with this debt until they are 18 years old. Then pay the debt with the $7.30 per hour government mandated labor wage.
There is no reason to believe America’s grandchildren’s children; can pay this debt; in a hundred million years; with the $7.30 per hour; government mandated labor wage!
Posted 08:26 PM, 10/24/2009
Congratulations to Habitat on their acquisition. I'm sure it'll be better for them. It's too bad the Restore has to move from its nice, safe location in Springfield Township to the ghetto. I really enjoyed shopping at Restore. Especially since it was close. And safe. Let's hope the "Rolling Acres" curse doesn't ruin another fine business....
