Sisters Habitat raises walls on new homes

Two local families had reason to celebrate last week as they raised walls for their homes with youth from around Central Oregon.

Marla Brinkman and Sharyn Benson, both part of the Sisters Habitat for Humanity homeownership program, spent time working with students to build their homes. Early in the week, more than 20 Heart of Oregon Corps YouthBuild students raised three walls in less than an hour at Brinkman's future home.

Students had been building the walls a few days prior to the group event.

The YouthBuild group is partnering with Habitat to build the home Brinkman will purchase when complete. YouthBuild students, spend time on the job site and in the classroom learning vocational and leadership skills. At the completion of the program many will have earned a GED, high school diploma or college credit.

Tony Cosby's Sisters High School construction class students were learning skills as well when they spent one day raising walls with future homeowner Benson. The students built the house walls in the fall. Because of the winter weather, the pouring of the foundation was delayed and the walls had to wait to be raised. Most of the students who were enrolled in the fall class were able to attend the all-day event.

"Hallelujah!" Benson shouted when she was asked to share a few words. "I feel like queen for a day."

Benson, who has lived in Central Oregon since 1990, told the crowd that nine years ago she left a relationship and wasn't sure she could stay in Sisters. But because of Habitat for Humanity she will now have a home and not have to move due to rising rent costs or rentals being sold.

"My heart is right here. My roots are right here."

She thanked the students, Habitat volunteers and the crowd.

Sisters High School senior Hayden Parsons has been taking Cosby's woodworking classes for most of his high school career. He has made an Adirondack chair and is currently working on a guitar. What he has found most rewarding, however, is building walls for a house for a future Sisters Habitat homeowner.

While Parsons and his fellow builders were working, he shared how meaningful it is to know that the house walls will impact someone in the community. "Building a guitar is just for me," he said, "but working on the walls helps others."

Sisters High School junior Garrett Young said he took the construction class when he was a freshman. He didn't really know what the class was all about when he signed up. He said he learned more than he imagined, and building the walls for a community member had lasting impact, and gave him reason to take the class again.

"This is a great program," Cosby told the crowd who gathered to watch the walls go up. "It may be the only one like it in Central Oregon."

Sisters Habitat has partnered with Cosby and his students for nearly five years.