Washington County Enterprise-Leader
Lions Club Gives To Habitat House
PRAIRIE GROVE — The Prairie Grove Lions Club recently donated $ 1,000 to the campaign to raise money for a new home in Prairie Grove with Habitat for Humanity of Washington County.
“We’re very proud we can donate this money and we’re very proud you’re going to be in our community,” said Lions Club president Mark Engle.
Habitat for Humanity owns a vacant lot at 1381 Arkansas Lane in Battlefield Estates that will be used as a location of a Habitat home. The group is now raising money to build a 1,200- square- foot house with three bedrooms and two baths.
Jason Kindall, executive director, said Habitat for Humanity of Washington County has two lots available for houses, one in Prairie Grove and one in Fayetteville. He said the organization hopes to build in Prairie Grove first but that would depend on fundraising.
Habitat’s goal is to raise about $ 75,000 for out- ofpocket expenses and he said the organization does not have to have all the money on hand before starting the project. Habitat homes are built at a discounted shared cost through fundraising and charitable contributions, material and skilled trade donations and supervised volunteer labor.
“We make a habit of building on faith,” Kindall told Lions Club members, who were meeting at the Latta Barn at Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park. “It’s a little nerve-wracking but it seems to come through.”
Kindall said Habitat for Humanity has one grant available for a Fayetteville home and is going to ask if the grant can be used in Prairie Grove. Kindall said he is confident that the organization will be able to build its Prairie Grove home sometime in 2014.
Patrick Moore and his wife, Susan Moore, of Prairie Grove, are active volunteers with Habitat for Humanity and spearheading the drive to build a home in Prairie Grove.
“This is the start of our building fund,” Patrick Moore said. “It’s getting exciting.”
Kindall said two families have been approved for Habitat homes and one is a single mother with three children who previously lived in Prairie Grove. This mother would like to move back to Prairie Grove and have her children attend Prairie Grove schools, Kindall said.
The process to be approved for a Habitat home is very involved and takes a while. Kindall said the single mom has been a part of the Habitat program for 1½ years.
Applicants fill out a lengthy application, go through an interview process and have to meet other qualifications and criteria. For example, single parents have to donate 300 hours of sweat equity on other Habitat homes or with other Habitat events before being qualified for their own home.
“Habitat for Humanity is a hand up, not a hand out,” Kindall said.
Habitat holds two mortgage notes on the house. The Habitat family makes a monthly mortgage payment to Habitat for Humanity to pay off the first note. The second note is kept by Habitat for Humanity so the partner family cannot sell the house. At the end of the 30 years, when the first note is paid off, Habitat for Humanity forgives the second note, Kindall said.