Volunteers key to homeownership dreams

Ownership of a Habitat for Humanity home marks a fresh start for many families. And it's volunteers who hold the key to helping Sisters families over that threshold into a new life.

Linda Casanova could not be more grateful to the crew of volunteers who built the home she and her family dedicated last Sunday. A medical condition that required multiple brain and spinal surgeries left Casanova and her family in severely strained circumstances.

"Because of my illness, well, we've lost everything," Casanova said. "This is a new start for us. A new start out of a huge storm."

And she knows that it is the work of many hands to create shelter from life's storms.

"Habitat wouldn't be Habitat without the guys building these houses and showing up," she said. "Every day they were scheduled to show up, they showed up. I think that's pretty commendable when you're not pulling a paycheck or getting anything out of it."

But of course the volunteers are getting something out of it... They love the work.

"I enjoy doing this," said John Dichiara. "I really enjoy it. It keeps me busy and I learn a lot doing it."

Like most volunteers, Dichiara didn't come into Habitat with a background in construction. He is a retired IT executive. He's been working on the Casanova home for months, doing what he knows how to do and learning new skills as he goes.

"This is a good group of guys," he said. "I enjoy working with them. You start out doing what you're comfortable with. You watch other guys and then you do it."

Construction manager Shawn O'Hern says that despite learning on the job, the crew does good work.

"They build a good house," he said. "They're very conscientious."

The volunteers are not completely green. Most have done do-it-yourself work on their own homes.

"They were hands-on guys in their own homes," O'Hern notes.

Jim Patskowski handles most of the stonework and pavers on Sisters habitat homes. He got started with work on his own home.

"I built my own house and I like working with it (pavers and stonework)," he said. "It's closer to the ground."

O'Hern notes that with the average age at 75, he prefers to keep all of his volunteers close to the ground. Habitat contracts out roof work to Northwest Quality Roofing out of Bend.

The volunteers acknowledged that they could - theoretically - take it easy in their retirement. But they aren't interested in that.

"You do that, it's boring and you die," said Larry Lennon. "We look at this as a husband day-care center."

"I don't like sitting around," said Steve Madsen, who brings cabinet-building skills to bear on the work. "I enjoy working with wood... and I've met some nifty people, both future homeowners and these clowns."

It's not only hammer-swingers who help families. Marsha and Dave Lewis and Nan Daschel were family partners with the Casanovas, helping them navigate the Habitat process to become homeowners.

"They're amazing people," Linda Casanova said. "Bob and I have been so blessed by their company."

Workers on the Casanova home include: Shawn O'Hern; George Sproat; John Dichiara; Larry Lennon; Bob Harris; Steve Madsen; Les Cooper; Doug Leonning; Gale Larson; Darlene Snider; Lynn Jones; and Pete Deal; and Jim Patskowski. Tim Clasen handles irrigation systems.

"Some guys just come when they've got time," said O'Hern. We've got guys who just come in the summer."

For all of them, Linda Casanova carries profound gratitude.

"They could do anything they wanted to every day," she said. "But they're doing this. They're doing for others... and that's pretty amazing."

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.

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