For over nine months, Habitat for Humanity has been working on the construction of a three bedroom home at 1906 Hubbard in Great Bend. With only a small number of workdays left before the home is turned over to its new owners, the help of some local motorcycle riders couldn’t have been more greatly appreciated, said Habitat’s board president Rachel Mawhirter.
The local chapter of the Christian Motorcycle Association (CMA) pitched in this past weekend to do some much needed dirt work to prepare for the sidewalk that will welcome the Wilkerson family into their new home in a number of weeks. “We were glad we could help out,” said chapter member Vic Link. “It’s cool to think that the work we did this weekend will permanently impact the family who will be living here.”
The non-profit organization hopes to turn the home over to Daryl and Amber Wilkerson, the new owners, by summertime. “We are going to hold a big ceremony at the construction site so we can publicly turn the keys over to the homeowners,” Mawhirter said. “This will be our opportunity to thank all our volunteers and donors, introduce the Wilkerson family, and celebrate this massive collaborative community effort coming to fruition.”
This is the non-profit organization’s fifth house built in Barton County. The organization was founded in 2001 following the Hoisington tornado. Once a home is built, Habitat then sells that home on a 25-year zero interest mortgage, making the payments more affordable than renting. It also gives families who might not qualify for traditional lending the opportunity to own a home of their own. “Our motto is ‘giving a hand up, not a hand out’ and we stand by that,” Mawhirter says. “These homeowners put in a lot of sweat equity in addition to financial consulting and home repair lessons. They finish this process more equipped to give their children a bright future.”
Anyone interested in volunteering or donating to the project should contact Habitat for Humanity of Barton County by e-mail at habitatbartoncounty@hotmail.com or by calling volunteer coordinator Kim Vink, 620-617-3886.