Habitat For Humanity's Mountain View chapter (HFHMVC) is ready to give the community an update on what it's doing in Olds and what help it needs, so it's holding an open house Thursday, Feb. 9 at the Olds Municipal Library from 7 to 8:30 p.m.
Amy Christiansen, the chapter's family services chair, says there are three main reasons for the very informal meeting.
One is to give an update on HFHMVC's progress in building two duplexes on land in east Olds donated by the town.
In short, thanks to a different funding model, HFHMVC already has the money to construct one of the two duplexes and a family has been chosen to live in it. Construction of that duplex is expected to begin this spring and be completed this fall.
Fundraising for the second duplex also needs to get underway.
Habitat For Humanity Southern Alberta (which includes HFHMVC) has also changed how it operates.
Thirdly, HFHMVC is looking for volunteers to help out on its various committees.
"We're ready to go. We've got everything in order (for the first duplex)," Christiansen says. "We have enough money because with this new build model, it actually reduced the amount of money we needed to have raised.
"The town donated that land and it has all changed title and (is) in our name. We have the renderings and the drawings all done," she adds.
Previously, HFHMVC had been looking at raising about $250,000 for the project. As a result of the change in the funding model, they only needed to raise $80,000 for the first duplex, which they now have.
They also hope to get about $40,000 worth of in-kind help from various contractors, for a total of about $120,000. They'll follow the same pattern with the second duplex.
Christiansen says Habitat For Humanity (HFH) has found that the old model, in which volunteers build the homes, has proven too expensive in that often, the work wasn't up to par and HFH had to call in contractors to redo the work in order to create the quality home they wanted.
Now they plan to utilize a combination of contractors and volunteers.
"We will hire trades to manage the build," Christiansen says. "Then the volunteers can come in at certain times when we know exactly what we want them to do and have the time and space to train.
"It can't be anything that is dangerous, or like high up on a ladder or anything like that. It has to be safe and relatively easy to train."
HFHMVC is also hoping that, via the meeting, they'll be able to recruit more volunteers to help them out.
Peter Braithwaite, the HFHMVC chair, is retiring this year, so the group needs someone to fill his role. Christiansen and construction chair Kelly Craig could also use some volunteer help on their committees.
They'd also like to find someone to serve as a marketing and development chair to spearhead fundraising for the second duplex. Christiansen is also looking for a family to live in that second duplex.
Christiansen says those who are chosen to live in the duplexes must still put in sweat equity, a long-standing requirement of Habitat For Humanity.
However, she says there are a variety of ways that can be done, from actually helping to construct the home to volunteering in the community or helping out at HFH facilities in Calgary and Red Deer.
"We're ready to go. We've got everything in order."AMY CHRISTIANSENFAMILY SERVICES CHAIR HABITAT FOR HUMANITY MOUNTAIN VIEW CHAPTER
