By Stephanie Nelson
For The Advance

Work has been postponed on the next Escambia County Habitat for Humanity build, because of a delay in the home’s design plans.

The chapter’s executive director, Alecia Glaize, said that volunteers had hoped to begin building in early March, but those plans had to be adjusted. She said Habitat has not yet set a date when builders will begin constructing the future home of the Moellenbrink family, which will also be Habitat’s first house to be built in Flomaton.

“Expect the official ‘raise the walls’ announcement within the next few weeks, and definitely by the end of the month,” Glaize said.

Glaize said students at Auburn University’s architectural school are heading the design project and are currently working to make the home as energy efficient as possible.

“Those students are doing it as a service project,” Glaize said. “It just takes a bit to make sure the plans are just right. It’s a challenge to build a home that is both very energy efficient and affordable.

“But this home, when we’re done, will be 70 percent more energy efficient than energy codes call for.”

Glaize said students from the Milwaukee School of Engineering still made their planned trip to work on the build site, from Monday, March 4, through Thursday, March 7. However, instead of working on the Moellenbrinks’ future home, the students worked on some other projects, including a wheelchair ramp for a cancer patient, volunteering in the Habitat ReStore, and building shelves at the store.

The students also helped clear the lot at the Flomaton build site.

Habitat seeking shoe donations

Escambia County Habitat for Humanity is also in the middle of a drive to collect 5,000 pairs of used shoes, by May 15.
Any type or any size shoe will be accepted, but they must be a pair. The shoes can be dropped off at Atmore City Hall, the Atmore Area Chamber of Commerce, or the Habitat ReStore at 1606 Douglas Ave. in Brewton.

The collected shoes will be distributed to several nations, including India, Haiti and Uganda.

For more information, call Habitat at (251) 867-0095 or email habitat@escambiahfh.org.

Advance publisher Justin Schuver contributed to this story.