BOONE, Iowa—Another local family is beginning the journey of building their own home with Heart of Iowa
Habitat for Humanity. Coronavirus has certainly put a wrench in the traditional build schedule, but after careful thought and discussion about safety precautions, the Boone Board of Directors and Construction Committee decided to move forward.
The groundbreaking celebration was held earlier this month, on Sunday, June 7th at the building site, 1409 Marshall Street with the partner family and a couple supporters to keep the group under 10. David and Melessa Smelcer, along with their three children Mason, Addison, and Jaxson, are Habitat’s 2020 partner family. The family is excited to begin the process of building and purchasing a safe, decent and affordable home.
Having been income-qualified and coming from substandard housing, David and Melessa will work a minimum of 450 hours alongside Habitat volunteers. Completing homeowner education classes is also a requirement.
Once construction is complete, the family will begin a no-interest mortgage with the local Habitat for Humanity affiliate. Their payments will help to build homes with more families in coming years.
Rocky Grillo of Boone will be leading his first Habitat house as Project Manager. An experienced construction contractor, Rocky will assist volunteer crew leaders, manage subcontractors, order materials and ensure final quality.
This will be the 29th partner family assisted with a new or renovated home through the local Habitat for Humanity affiliate since its beginning in 1995. An additional 75 families have been helped with critical repairs across Boone, Greene and Guthrie Counties through Helping Hands and other home repair programs.
In addition to reinvested Habitat homebuyer mortgage payments, financial support for this project comes from the Leonard A. Good Trust, the Boone County Endowment Fund, the Boone County Human Services Grant, the US Bank Foundation, Vision Bank, plus many local individuals, churches and businesses.
Those interested in volunteering during construction can contact Heart of Iowa Habitat for Humanity at 515-432-1168. Their local office is at 720 Story Street in downtown Boone. Habitat for Humanity is a community-driven Christian housing ministry dedicated to providing opportunities for simple, decent and affordable housing for families in need, both locally and around the world.
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