Habitat Builds Second Double Dwelling on Pinecrest Road

Photos of the build

The Pinecrest build of 2006 is quickly approaching! We are happy to return to Pinecrest, the site of our 2005 build, which saw two houses go up. This summer, as we return to Pinecrest we will be building two more homes for two very happy families, each with 4 kids! The build is scheduled to begin in July and volunteers are already being slotted into the build schedule. A wonderfully generous woman by the name of Mrs. Pidgeon is the major house sponsor for the first house and the Eastern District of the Ontario Professional Planners Institute is the major house sponsor for the second house! It is an exciting build season for us at Habitat for Humanity-NCR. We will be building 3 houses this summer, which brings the total the number of house built by Habitat for Humanity-NCR to 29! We were a small grassroots organization when we started in 1993, and now 13 years later, we are grassroots in spirit and gaining the strength and momentum of a household known charity. Come on out and help build with Habitat this summer, together we are building more than homes, together we are building hope.

This home would not be possible without the help of hundreds of volunteers and support from our sponsors! To read some quotes from our sponsors and see how they benefit from partnering with Habitat-NCR, click here!

Fast Facts

• In 2005, Habitat for Humanity built a two-storey double semi-detached at 859-861 Pinecrest in west-end Ottawa sponsored by the local RCMP association.
• This year we're building a second two-storey double, semi-detached home on the adjoining lot. Each unit has a full basement and about 1200 square feet of living area.
• The Eastern District of the Ontario Professional Planners Institute (OPPI) is the major sponsor of one of the homes having raised $75,000 in a two-year campaign that included a Gala evening at the Canadian War Museum last fall.
• The other home is sponsored with a generous donation from a Habitat donor, Mrs. Pidgeon.

Building a two-storey double home in 43 days and organizing the over 250 enthusiastic volunteers to do it is a welcome challenge for someone like Diane Boucher.

As Chair of the Logistics Committee for this year's Habitat for Humanity National Capital Region home build project and as past president of the local affiliate, Diane knows all too well the highs and lows that go with any major undertaking like this. "The volunteer logistics team continues to learn from experience. Each schedule is unique. The biggest challenge with the logistics committee is ensuring that all the elements pertaining to the build come together," says Diane.

Habitat volunteers have been active throughout the winter developing detailed plans and guidelines for the build. Working with an inventory of standardized floor plans the volunteers study the plans and identify any adjustments needed to accommodate differences in lot dimensions and topography.

Habitat for Humanity is an international organization, but each building project depends on local communities for all its resources. "Many people believe that there is nothing they can do to help solve the affordable housing crisis", says Diane Boucher, "but we know it works, not because one particular organization is financially supporting Habitat, but because the local community is totally behind Habitat for Humanity and what we do in the community to improve families' lives by providing them with a chance to help build and then purchase a decent place to live in."

Over 100 local volunteers on HfH-NCR's various committees have been busy this winter developing detailed requirements for the diverse resources that go into a build. Building materials and equipment like furnaces and appliances are an obvious example. Habitat's materials acquisition group has the job of canvassing local suppliers and sponsors and persuading them to donate what they can to help keep the costs as low as possible.

Another major resource is volunteer labour. Approximately 300 to 400 volunteers with various levels of skill and experience will be working on the Pinecrest II build this summer. Recruiting, training and organizing all these people is a full-time volunteer activity in itself. " The biggest challenge is making sure our volunteers enjoy their experience with us and come away with a genuine feeling of accomplishment and having made a real difference in one family's life", says Diane.

And how do you feed all these hungry volunteer workers? That's another major challenge that means teams of volunteers fanning out in the community and talking with local church groups, service organizations and restaurants willing to lend a hand with nutritious on-site meals and snacks through the period of the build.

"As always, the Habitat food committee has had excellent support from the community in committing to this summer's requirements." says Diane. "We are constantly amazed at the generosity and support of everyone we approach for help. This is how the people of Ottawa are joining together to tackle the affordable housing crisis on all our doorsteps."

To register as a volunteer or supply materials or services for OPPI House/Maison IPPO - for information, contact Habitat for Humanity-NCR at (613) 749-9950 or at volunteer@habitatncr.com

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