| The forces of Hands of Hope, Zion Travelers and Covenant World Relief have teamed up to get both instant and permanent results on the Eastbank-two and three bedroom homes, owned outright and built in a matter of months.
This is for people who owned land and have gotten insurance or FEMA money, said Hands of Hope co-founder Brenda Puckett.
The three organizations have cut deals with architects, lumbers companies and roofing material wholesellers, then get volunteers in to do the labor.
Two sets of blueprints for the stick-houses were drawn up by Mike Gromer, a Kansas City resident who has visited Phoenix a number of times and has focused his energies there. The plans are for a two-bedroom, 900-square-foot home or a three-bedroom, 1,200-square-foot home.
Participants need a foundation; then, they pick a blueprint. Once the owner picks, Vetters Lumber Company sends over all wood needed for the structure. The lumber is at a discount for those in this program. The organizations also found a roof trussing company that would sell materials to them at wholesale prices.
The Christian organizations will then provide the volunteer labor.
In the end, the two-bedroom costs a total of $29,000 and the three-bedroom is $38,000, said Tyronne Edwards of Zion Travelers. And the process can be done in steps.
“Our goal is to have as many people back in their houses as possible and not only that, own their houses,” said Edwards.
According to the Pucketts, 16 families have signed up for the rebuilding program and these houses should be complete in several months.
The operation is corruption free said Hands of Hope co-founder Benny Puckett. All checks are written to the lumber company or the foundation company, never to one of the three organizations, which just get participants in touch with the right services.
The rebuilding is based out of Phoenix because of Edwards, said the Pucketts. A community leader who started a distribution center in Phoenix, Edwards has championed the rebuilding program since its inception. He is how most families signed up for the program got wind of its existence.
This grass-roots program has caught the eye of the new parish president, Billy Nungesser. Nungesser said he would like to help expand the program to the Westbank but said the Westbank needs a community leader like Edwards.
“We’re going to try to mirror what Tyronne has done here,” said Nungesser. “We need to bring community leaders from all over the parish.” Nungesser said he will look to the parish council to fill this position, especially District 8’s Lynda Banta and newcomers for District 6 and 9, Burghart Turner and Marla Fisher Cooper.
|
