In the News

The 2008 Apostle Build and Prince of Peace made the news. See the article at http://www.al.com/birminghamnews/stories/index.ssf?/base/community/120591462528750.xml&coll=2.


A home that's built on faith
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
ANNE RUISI
News staff writer

While some people give up something for Lent, volunteers from 11 metro churches and one Anniston congregation gave away their time and talent to help build two houses in Bush Hills with Habitat for Humanity Greater Birmingham.

Work on the "Building On Faith" houses started Feb. 9, the Saturday following Ash Wednesday. The houses, at 924 and 928 Fourth Court West, will be dedicated at noon this Friday, which is Good Friday.

"The volunteers have done a wonderful job," said Edna M. Townsend, who will move into the house at 924 Fourth Court West. "I feel the like the Lord has smiled on me."

Churches participating this year are Prince of Peace, St. Peter the Apostle, Our Lady of the Valley and Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic; Asbury, Christ Church and Irondale United Methodist; First Baptist Woodlawn and First Baptist Alabaster; Edgewood and Shades Valley Presbyterian and Anniston First Weslyan, said Jennifer Jacobs, Habitat's development coordinator.

The houses were built from the ground up on two vacant lots. Each is a three-bedroom, two-bath structure with a brick exterior. The houses are designed in the Craftsman style to blend in with existing neighborhood homes, she said.

The ecumenical effort began last year when Habitat sought churches to help build houses during Lent. Four responded first: First United Methodist downtown, Asbury, Prince of Peace and Our Lady of the Valley, Jacobs said.

The idea was to build on religious faith via a tangible project. Construction of a house for a low-income family is a mission effort and it helps "people grow in their faith beyond the church walls," Jacobs said.

Each participating church this year was assigned a Saturday to work on the houses, but volunteers from various churches came regardless of their scheduled date. Weekends drew the most participants, but many volunteers came during the week.

Not all did construction work. At Prince of Peace church, parishioners were asked to pray for all the volunteers and the homeowners, while one 7-year-old boy took photos marking the progress at the site for a poster put up at church. There also is a blog to update parishioners on construction.

And the church members got to know the homeowners better, even inviting them to their Lenten Friday night fish fries.

"I really enjoyed the Prince of Peace fish fry," Townsend said. "They (the volunteers) became just like family."

Each of the houses will have an appraised value of about $90,000 to $100,000, said Habitat spokeswoman Cassie Sanford. Habitat sells its homes at cost, so for a three-bedroom, two-bath house, that's typically $65,000, Sanford said.

The houses are affordable for low- to moderate-income families. After a $700 down payment, a 25-year mortgage at 0 percent interest equals about $350 a month.

E-mail: aruisi@bhamnews.com On the Net

Prince of Peace Habitat blog: www.pophabitat.blogspot.com HOUSESXX -- HOUSES:

Dedications set for Good Friday