Pandemic slows, but doesn’t stop, Habitat homes
COVID-19 may have slowed its efforts, but Garland County Habitat for Humanity continues to build houses for local families in need, dedicating its 147th home on Saturday, July 11.
The house, located at 520 Linwood Ave., is the new home of Ashley Hampton and her three children, Ta’Kayla, Sa’Brina and Malik, who moved in right as the pandemic hit in March.
Hampton said she was thankful for how things worked out, noting that when the pandemic hit she didn’t think they would be able to move into the home.
The Hampton home was actually the 146th house built by Habitat workers, but due to the pandemic a home built later ended up being dedicated earlier, Cindy Wagstaff, GCHFH executive director said.
“First time we’ve gone backward … dedicating homes out of sequence,” she said.
Several things in the Hamptons’ home had not been finished when the family moved in, including the sod not being laid on the ground outside and window blinds not installed.
Ashley Hampton “has been so extremely patient,” Wagstaff said, noting, “she just rolls with the punches.”
“It was fine,” Hampton said of the not-quite-completed house. “We just worked around it until they could get to it. It’s a blessing.”
For the dedication ceremony, Wagstaff said some changes were made for safety, including not having a canopy for shade or an ice chest with drinks because those might cause people to get closer to each other.
She stressed Habitat is still working on building houses, but noted that prior to the pandemic they expected to build four more houses this year and likely will not be able to complete that many.
“If everything holds like this, we will definitely finish two. Might get in a third,”
Wagstaff said.
At the construction sites, Wagstaff said they are limiting the number of volunteers to 10 people. She also noted a lot of the retired volunteers have decided not to participate during the pandemic.
Wagstaff said they are “probably going a little slower than normal,” but are still “moving along.”