In 2006 the "Lutheran Coalition for Habitat" will partner with the Cobb County and N. Fulton County chapters of "Thrivent Financial for Lutherans" to build two new homes. One will be in Cobb County and the other in Cherokee County. In the past, the Coalition has gone to AAL and Thrivent for supplemental funding for our builds but this year it is kind of reversed. Thrivent will provide the bulk of the funding for the two houses and has approached the Coalition to provide the construction knowledge and experience gained from its 13 previous builds. We will work together to obtain additional funding and to enroll the necessary volunteers for the double build. It appears the Cobb house will start in late spring and the Cherokee in the fall; advance dates for the builds are always iffy.

If you think you might like to volunteer [this is not a comitment] contact an active Coalition member in your Lutheran church. Like other long term Habitat volunteers I have received much more from our activity than have the homeowners.

We are in the very early process of planning this years "Taste of Habitat" event that was Soooo successful last year.

The work schedule by church and the construction schedule [from the Habitat affiliate] for the Canton build is "up" in the "2006 Builds" section.

A good day with enough help. We did interior and exterior paint and interior trim. Also, we finally finished the jagged "Hardyplank" on the front gable which is very confusing to install. Sybil took some nice pictures this week for me to put on the web; thanks a lot.

Next Saturday [day 10] we finnish up the painting, install a little hardware and clean the house for dedication. There is no organized volunteer list for the last day so come in the morning if possible and help us "pretty it up" for dedication

Dedication is next Sunday [June 25] at 4:00 P.M. Please plan to attend.

It seems like we have been working on this house a long time with 3 Saturdays off between work days but last Saturday [June 10] was only our 8Th work day. We were light on youth participation for landscaping but the job was finished as well as many other tasks.

The main task next Saturday is painting inside and out. We also must complete installing interior trim and the staggered siding on the porch gable.

We still need two full work days to be ready for dedication on Sunday June 25Th. The Coalition is asking for as many volunteers as possible to help. For these last two days we are dispensing with the morning and afternoon shifts for the two defined groups. Just come out as early and stay as late as you can.

June 03:   Good turnout and great weather. Interior doors were hung, one coat of paint on interior walls, some of the interior trim is in, most of the siding is up and partly painted & most of the porch work was completed.

Next Saturday [June 10] the youth will do the landscaping while others finish up the siding, porch, interior trim and do more painting.

Sorry that there is only an "after" picture of the house this week; didn't get any of the "on the job" pictures. Click on the attached paper clip to view.

Hans e-mailed me three pics on Monday; see them in Day 7 photos.

Only soffit and siding work today. The plumber failed his inspection and the porch package was not delivered so the dry wall was not in and the porch could not be trimmed out.

We will NOT work next Saturday because of the holiday weekend. We'll continue on June 3rd.

Thanks Hans for the morning photos for day six.

Insulation of exterior walls was completed and the siding on the back wall was just about finished. Misc. trim work was begun.

The afternoon volunteer group was small so that puts more pressure on the completion date. The schedule is based on all participating churches providing four volunteers each week.

Next build day [May 20], we will continue siding, soffit and facia installation as well as trimming out the front porch. If the drywall sub finishes "mudding" and sanding the walls, [during the week] we may be able to install the interior doors.

Much work completed includings putting up the porch gable barge rafter, shingling the roof, installing windows, caulking base plates, etc..

Next week [May 13th]:   Siding, soffits and maybe insulation.  Team 1 in the morning and Team 2 in the afternoon

Day three was our first day without rain. The photos attest to the fact that a lot was accomplished. The roof decking was completed including drip edge and felt, the porch gable was put up, the house was wrapped in Tyvek and the deadwood for the the drywall was completed.

In the afternoon we had more volunteers than usual on the roof. The "Blue Angles" had an air show at NAS Atlanta/ Dobbins Air Reserve Base and the runway was only a mile away. The "Blue Angles" came over the house in their diamond formation at about 500 feet.

Next week [May 6th] the major tasks will be to shingle the roof and install windows and exterior doors. There will be many smaller jobs as well. Team 2 in the morning and Team 1 in the afternoon.

Rain Out !!!!

Our Cobb Habitat SPM called work off for today April 08, 2006.

April 15th is a scheduled day off for the Easter weekend.

We will resume construction on April 22nd with congregational assignments as originally scheduled [by date].

Despite the morning rain, the house was framed and partly sheathed before quiting time. On Wednesday the Cobb "Gray Ghosts" straightened the walls and put up the masts to support the first truss making the house ready for the Saturday volunteers to install the trusses.

Work plans for next Saturday [04/08/06]:  Install trusses, continue sheathing the walls, deck the roof, install dead wood, cut barge rafters, pre-cut sheathing for gable trusses, cut window and door openings and finish nailing tie down straps.

Plenty work for everyone.

Check the 2006 "Photo Album" for a few pictures of the house and volunteers.

Thanks Hans for the additional photos.  04/07/06

Cobb Habitat's "Gray Ghosts" [including Harold, Stutz & Ken] today [Wednesday] layed out the slab and plated the the walls for Saturday's wall building and raising. If you are planning to participate and your church has the morning shift, please try to be there before 8:00 a.m.. This is the most exciting time of the build as you see the house going from being a pile of sticks to becoming a well defined building in a matter of hours.

The coalition will be working with "Thrivent Financial for Luthernas" to fund and build two houses.

House 1 will be a 12 week build in Smyrna with a start date of April 1. If you would like to participate by making a financial contribution and/or working on the house, please contact a "Coalition" or "Thrivent" representative in your church.

House 2 will be built in Canton with a start date shortly after labor day.