News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Lance Trowbridge with Family Partner Art Buell at the dedication of the Trowbridge remodel, a landmark first for Sisters Habitat for Humanity.
Sisters Habitat for Humanity is now in the home repair/remodel business.
Last week, the local chapter dedicated the Adams Avenue home of Lance and Howard Trowbridge, the first existing home that the chapter has remodeled. And an extensive remodel it was. The house got a new roof, new flooring, a handicapped-accessible bathroom, a wheelchair ramp to accommodate the wheelchair-bound Howard, and a new heating system.
Lance Trowbridge lives in the home where he is a caregiver for his aged father. Both are U.S. military veterans, which made them eligible for a grant program through a partnership between Habitat and Home Depot.
A $15,000 grant funded the project, and Trowbridge will contribute 64 hours of "sweat equity" - Habitat's term for the volunteer work required of homeowners.
Marie Clasen noted that this is the first time Habitat has done a project while the family is living in the home.
Teams of college and high school students worked on the home, along with the local chapter's dedicated cadre of volunteers.
"It gives everybody a chance to pull together," Trowbridge notes.
The home has a long and rich history for the Trowbridge family. Howard, now 95, moved there in 1946.
"I grew up in this house," Lance said. "When I was young, the rodeo grounds were right there across the road. It's been like a home base for my whole family."
More remodeling projects are in the future for Sisters Habitat for Humanity.
"From here on out, you'll see Sisters Habitat doing repairs," said Executive Director Sharlene Weed.
The organization has developed an application that closely resembles that of its home-building program. For more information on application criteria, contact Sisters Habitat for Humanity at 541-549-1193.
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.
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