Help Rebuild 12 Homes for Birmingham Families

On September 14th, more than seventy soldiers volunteered in Pleasant Grove and the City of Birmingham, partnering with Greater Birmingham Habitat for Humanity.

In place of its regular construction training, the 465th Engineering Company of the US Army Reserves held its construction operations on four Habitat sites in Greater Birmingham.  Two of the sites were in Pleasant Grove, where Habitat has begun two new homes this summer to help rebuild neighborhoods and cities within our community that have not fully recovered from the tornadoes from 2011.

Service members arrived bright and early Saturday morning, lending their time and talents to new construction sites in Pleasant Grove and 2 additional home repairs in the City of Birmingham. Tasks for the day ranged from stripping and re-shingling a roof, to installing vinyl siding, to framing. No task was too big or too small for the Army reservists who worked diligently throughout the day, alongside partner families such as Rhonda Smith - future homeowner in Pleasant Grove.

"Thank you for everything that you are doing to help me become a homeowner," said Rhonda. "This opportunity will change the lives of my daughter and me."

Rhonda and her daughter plan to be in their home before the end of October, thanks to the hundreds of volunteers who have helped throughout the build.

Links:

• Habitat Birmingham's Website

Thanks to the collaboration among dozens of nonprofit and for profit agencies, thousands of volunteer, and many funders, Habitat Birmingham has helped 263 families with their construction needs since the tornadoes. There are three full rebuilds scheduled to begin later this year.

There is still more to be done, even two years after the storm. Habitat Birmingham has been helpin rebuild disaster affected communities through the acquisition of abandoned or vacant lots. We hope to purchase several additional lots in the coming months to help restore the communities of Pleasant Grove and Pratt City, in addition to other affected neighborhoods in the area.

Habitat's goal is to bring people together to build homes, communities and hope. Your support can help us build brighter futures. Please consider making a donation today to help Rebuild Birmingham!

Links:

• http://www.habitatbirmingham.org