HANNIBAL, MO. -- Volunteers with the Mark Twain Area Habitat for Humanity hope the sounds of hammers and saws won't stop anytime soon, despite swindling funds for its 7th project home at 402 Riverside Street in Hannibal. When construction on the three bedroom home began back in March, volunteers say they knew money may be tight because of the economy. But local donations from Lowes, Bross Construction, BASF and MECCO Engineering helped work get underway. Now thanks to more than one hundred volunteers, a lot of progress has been made.
Construction on the new Habitat for Humanity House here on Riverside Street in Hannibal is more than half done, but volunteers here say they've hit a wall. That's because grant funding they were depending on has dried up, and now they're turning to the community for help.
Mark Twain Area Habitat for Humanity President Dale Swenson said, "We have a lot of faith and belief that with community support this home will proceed on schedule."
Swenson says the five grants which didn't come through for the project added up to the last $15 thousand needed to buy materials for the new home and hook the house onto the local sewer system. So although volunteers can continue to work on wiring and plumbing, they'll quickly run out of things to do, without the needed materials. But he says he has faith the community will pull together to raise the needed money to keep the project going.
Swenson says it's the community and the young couple who will live here which will see the benefits of this home. Families who receive habitat homes put in time and sweat equity, but make regular zero interest payments. Meanwhile improvements here will lead to the revitalization of this Southside neighborhood.
The house has also received a lot of in kind gifts from businesses like Allen's Carpet which donated the flooring and installation.
Habitat volunteers say they hope to have the family in this home by winter.
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The Mark Twain Area Habitat for Humanity hopes to raise money with a benefit spaghetti dinner and silent auction on Saturday, July 24th at the First Christian Church at 1101 Broadway in Hannibal. The benefit runs from 5:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., featuring all you can eat spaghetti, as well as salad, bread and dessert.
Tickets cost $6 for adults and $4 for children 6-12.
They're also looking for local donations and volunteers. If you can help call (573) 248-3652 or (573) 221-0104.
Donations of money should be sent to the local Habitat for Humanity to keep all funds in the Tri-State area. Send monetary donations to: Mark Twain Area Habitat for Humanity, P.O. Box 1582 , Hannibal, MO. 63401.
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