Sisters Habitat celebrates new homes

One Sisters family cut the ribbon on their new home while another turned the first shovelful of dirt on the site of their new home in a Sisters Habitat for Humanity dual ceremony on Thursday, November 1.

"We are very eager to sink a shovel into the dirt," said Jennifer Heiden-Smith, as she and her children Soren and Serafina prepared to do just that. Randy Heiden-Smith was unable to attend the ceremony due to work commitments.

"We're very thankful, honored," she said. "We are grateful - very, very grateful to be part of the Habitat family."

Then the shovel went in and broke ground on what will soon be a new home.

Family partner Kathy Brill noted that she's known Randy since they were both kids and was thrilled when he and Jennifer became a couple. Now she is equally thrilled to share with them the security and sense of place that comes with ownership of a Habitat home.

"They are so deserving of this opportunity," she said.

Habitat homes are built with volunteer labor and donations of money and materials. Habitat builds and rehabilitates simple, decent houses alongside homeowner partner families. Habitat houses are sold to partner families at no profit and financed with affordable loans.

In addition to a down-payment and monthly mortgage payments, homeowners invest hundreds of hours of their own labor - called "sweat equity" - into building their Habitat house and the houses of others.

Jamie Audrain managed to put in her sweat equity despite working three and four jobs at a time.

For her and children Josh and Jake, cutting the ribbon at their new home was an emotional moment. Jamie choked up as she addressed the assemblage at the dedication.

"I'm glad we can all do this together, because that's how it feels," she said.

The Audrain home and the Heiden-Smith home-site are side-by-side in the Timber Creek subdivision. Sisters Habitat Director Sharlene Weed noted that the bank-owned properties were purchased through stimulus money in the form of "Neighborhood Stabilization Funds."

Architect Chris Mayes created the plans for both homes pro bono and dozens of volunteers and corporations provided labor and materials either gratis or at discounts to make the projects viable.

The Audrain home was the site of a Mother's Day Women's Build, which brought up fond memories for participants. High school construction students framed and raised the walls, and will do the same for the Heiden-Smith home.

"This house has been a blast to work on," Jamie said. "The boys and I can't wait to get in."

Author Bio

Jim Cornelius, Editor in Chief

Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.

• Email: editor@nuggetnews.com
• Phone: 5415499941