Garden Day at McAdams Court

The Junior League of Charleston joined us on Saturday to create a community garden for the children of McAdams Court.  The last garden at McAdams Court was not successful, so a different approach was taken this time.  This time a lasagna garden was created, and no I don’t mean the spices for lasagna were grown. We build 4’x3’ boxes out of 2x10’s. Cardboard was the first layer and it was covered with newspaper to seal any cracks. A layer of dried leaves were added on top of that and then the rest of the box was filled with compost and soil.  Then our boxes were ready for plants.  A variety of fruits and vegetables were planted including tomatoes, potatoes, squash, peas, and watermelon.  A few marigolds were added to help with pollination.

The children joined us in planting the garden and they were given the responsibility of watering. Different houses were assigned different days of the week to ensure that the plants would not be over or under watered.

The kids also decorated mini garden flags and then stuck them in their new gardens. I think the flags added a nice touch! One of my favorite flags was made by a second grader named Bub. His flag read “I like Clemson. I have a lot of friends.”

We ended the day with entertainment from the Diamonds, which is a group of girls from the neighborhood that have choreographed dances. I think they brought back memories from everyone’s childhood!

Our Newest Home Owner!!!

When Gwendolen Brown arrived at work for her typically lunch time shift at Brixx Pizzeria, she had no idea that this would be a shift that she would remember for years to come.  

Representatives from the Habitat office, family selection committee, and even some of our regular volunteers met outside of the restaurant and then were led back to the kitchen by the manager. The moment Gwendolen saw Amelia come around the corner with the letter, she was filled with excitement.

Gwendolen has two boys: Rockell (16) and Malik (11). We are excited to welcome a new homeowner to the Habitat Family and can’t wait to work alongside them at the jobsite.

Collegiate Challenge: Week 5

The last week of Collegiate Challenge brought with it rain, but fortunately the rain didn’t dampen the spirits of the University of Delaware.  Luckily the sun did decide to come out before the end of the week.

The goal for the week was to put up siding and shingles.  Unfortunately the rain did present barriers. We often had to find jobs on the ground in the morning until the roof dried out. Even with this obstacle, lots of shingles were installed.

We were fortunate to be joined by Heidi and Paul Rendall along with Donald and Lois Schroeder. They came all the way from Wisconsin to build with us for the week! Heidi and Paul have been coming for years, and this year they were able to bring Don and Lois along. I cannot say enough about the leadership they provided on the work site. They were the main leaders of our siding crews and they did an awesome job.

As Collegiate Challenge comes to an end, I have bittersweet feelings. I will miss the energy that the college students bring to the work site. But, it will be nice to have more time to keep up with my office work!

Below are some pictures from the week!

Paul leads a siding crew

University of Delaware

Collegiate Challenge: Week 4

Centre College in Danville, Kentucky and St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota joined us for Week 4 of Collegiate Challenge.  

Members of the St. Olaf group were excited be in a place with such a rich history and used their day off as a history day where they visited Fort Sumter and learned about the Civil War.

Centre College came up with another great ice breaker to add to our repertoire. Everyone had to tell their favorite dance move and then demonstrate.  It was a great way to get the blood flowing early in the morning.

The main goal for the week was prep the house for siding and shingles. Some of the projects included sheathing the roof, finishing sub fascia, installing the drip edge, laying tar paper, finishing the water table and installing the starter strip of siding.  We also had a group that helped to finish installing the SIP roof on the Net Zero House.  It was a great week!

Mark helps a crew finish the sheathing on the roof

The students make sure that the sheathing is completely nailed off

That drip edge looks good!

The beginning of the tar paper...

The completed water table

 

Working on the roof.

Rosey helps with tar paper

Some students helped install the roof on the Net Zero Energy House

Hanging out after the cookout

The Entire Group

Here are some pictures from the week: