Plans are under way for a local family to have a new home soon.

Habitat for Humanity of Escambia County is set to build a home in Atmore beginning in March.

“We are already thinking about the next house we will build which will be in Atmore for the Smith family,” Habitat director Alecia Glaize said. “We are planning to begin construction in March. We will be hosting a group of students from Central Michigan University March 3-8 who will be helping us get the Smith home started.”

Deborah Smith and her son Dylan have been volunteering “sweat equity” hours at Habitat’s latest home in Brewton in anticipation of work beginning on their new house, Glaize said.

Several other volunteers from Atmore have also been putting in time at the Brewton home, which Glaize said she hopes will be finished in the next few weeks.

Glaize said no public workdays are scheduled for the Brewton house, but planned groups of volunteers will be working soon, and more public workdays will be scheduled in the future.

Some of the work has been slowed to allow for more inspections as part of the Fortified Safe certification program, a program for which Habitat received a $20,000 grant to help build the home.

“Final inspection for the Fortified Safe certification is scheduled for Friday,” she said. “The Men’s Ministry of First United Methodist Church of Brewton will be building the front and back porches this weekend. We should be ready to have the insulation blown in next week, and then sheet rock installed. Once the sheetrock work is completed, we will be calling on volunteers to help with interior painting.”

Glaize said the Fortified Safe program has not only provided grant funding, it has also taught the local Habitat volunteers more about homebuilding.

“We as an organization have learned to build safer homes,” she said.

Glaize credited Rusty Miller, the group’s construction leader, with being interested in learning new skills for the organization.
“He is very interested in learning new things and trying to make our homes as safe and energy efficient for our homeowners as we can,” Glaize said.

The home is also being built with some green building standards as part of a program with the Alabama Homebuilders Association.

As work continues, Glaize said several volunteers from Atmore have been helping, partly in anticipation of the next home to be built there.

A church group from Atmore has donated its time, and others have raised money for the organization.
To stay informed about the construction progress and volunteer opportunities, you can:

• Check the Escambia County Habitat for Humanity Facebook page or Web site at www.escambiahfh.org,

• Ask to be added to the e-mail newsletter list (e-mail your request to habitat@escambiahfh.org)

• Or call the Habitat office at 251-867-0095.