A place to call home
Habitat for Humanity unveils latest build for Lake Station family
Of the many things that make working with Habitat for Humanity of Northwest Indiana rewarding, there’s one phrase that always brings it home for the team.
“Chris (Johnson, Habitat Board of Directors vice president) says the best part of the job is when the kids come in and yell ‘Where’s my room?’ ” the organization’s Board President, Kristin Marlow, said during a home dedication in Lake Station on Wednesday night just after one of the new owner’s children yelled exactly that. “I have to agree.”
One of four builds Habitat completed for its 2022-23 fiscal year, the country-blue house with two baths, three bedrooms, a galley kitchen and a lovely view of Deep River will play home to a single mom and her two children, who ran to and fro as the adults toured the new digs. They still have to get an occupancy permit, so move-in day may still take a couple weeks.
Still, seeing it done but for a few finishing touches was everything the homeowner could’ve asked.
“Having our own space for the kids is exciting,” Michaelene Flores said. “This is good for them.
“The process has been wild, but it was worth the wait.”
With the supply chain still readjusting itself from pandemic shortages and delays, finishing the house took about nine months starting last fall, said Keith Bruxvoort, of Highland, a board member and volunteer who travels the country on builds. Subcontractors lay the foundation on it and several houses in the neighborhood to get a jump on building season this year, he said.
Then between May and October, volunteers convene and build other components, such as wall frames, so they can quickly get installed when the weather breaks. One event, the Women’s build, had more than 30 groups coming out before the pandemic, he said.
“I got involved in 2005, and then when I retired from Strack & VanTil’s accounting department in 2015, I spend my time doing this,” Bruxvoort said. “I enjoy outside work.”
This particular house was a bit an anomaly for Habitat, he said, because the lot size was wide instead of deep. But all that meant was the builders got to come up with a new blueprint, which was fun.
Marlow, who’s been with Habitat for 15 years, said she’s never been as proud of being part of the organization as she is now.
“As a single mom, I got very lucky because I wasn’t a single mom during an economic downturn, and that blessing for me caused me to reflect on having a safe home,” Marlow said to the group.
The land for the new Lake Station Habitat homes came from an abandoned development, Bruxvoort said.