Habitat gears up for two Mount Olive builds
By Steve Herring
Published in News on March 1, 2018 5:50 AM
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News-Argus/STEVE HERRING
Matt Whittle, Habitat for Humanity of Goldsboro-Wayne executive director, walk around the lots where the organization will build two houses during the year.
MOUNT OLIVE -- The signs are up.
The lot is staked and ready for a new house.
And people are bound to be wondering what is going on with plans for two new Habitat for Humanity houses to be built on the corner of South Chestnut and West Pollock streets, said Matt Whittle, Habitat for Humanity of Goldsboro-Wayne executive director.
Habitat Goldsboro-Wayne and the Mount Olive Partners for Habitat are planning to build two new homes for low- to moderate-income families.
These houses -- numbers nine and 10 in the Mount Olive area -- will be built at 202 W. Pollock St. and 108 S. Chestnut St.
More information, opportunities to get involved, learn more and to meet the new homeowners will start soon, he said.
What is still lacking are the financial donations.
The fundraising goal for the two houses is $86,000 -- $43,000 for each house.
"We are still in the fundraising process," Whittle said. "Our overall goal is $86,000 by June 30, 2019 to have all of that collected. We are about halfway when we add up our donations and our pledges. But that means that cash on hand, we are only about a quarter or so of the way to that $86,000.
"What I would like to see is for us to be halfway there in cash before the end of this current fiscal year which ends June 30. That is the immediate goal, and that will help cover that first house and then of course we will be fundraising for that second house after that."
The Rev. Dennis Atwood, pastor of Mount Olive First Baptist Church, and Al Southerland, president of the Men of Faith, Integrity and Character, are co-chairing the fundraising committee.
The Rev. Steven Wicks, who had been involved, has retired and is moving to Virginia.
"We are sad to see him go, but he has done a heck of a job laying a really incredible foundation for Habitat's work in Mount Olive," Whittle said. "We appreciate all that he has done to push Habitat forward and to help us be visible in the community and to create some relationships in the community."
Whittle said he hopes Wicks will be able to return for the dedication.
The projects are still moving forward, with construction on the first house to start in the spring, he said.
It had been thought the first house would start in March. Now it is looking like it will be mid-April, Whittle said.
"Construction, things happen," he said. "We have projects that we are having to balance this around, other ongoing projects in Goldsboro, outside Fremont.
"The big thing right now is that we still need that fundraising to pick up. That is kind of the message that we are getting out. We will be sending out some letters in the next month or so to remind folks that this project is coming, but that we do need that financial support to make it a reality."
The homeowners for both houses have been selected and are excited, especially the woman who will get the spring house, he said.
Their names will be announced soon, he said.
"She is looking forward to coming down here and working on her own house," Whittle said.
No decision has been made on which address will get the spring house, but that decision is expected within the next couple of weeks, he said.
The spring homeowner will get "first dibs" on whether she wants a house facing Chestnut Street or Pollock Street, he said.
Whittle said he will talk to town officials and get the plot plans done so when mid-April arrives Habitat will be ready to dig the foundation and get started.
Whittle said he wants to plan another community meeting where people can learn how to get involved once the groundbreaking is held.
There is currently no specific date for the start of the fall build.
"If we start in April, typically it takes from the day we start digging the foundation until the day we close about five months or so," Whittle said. "This project will be wrapping up by late summer would be fair.
"I don't think we would start the other one until this first one is done. So early fall would be the hope to get started, to have things rolling so once students (at the University of Mount Olive) get back we can get some of those folks out volunteering with us."
Habitat has enjoyed good support from the university in the past, Whittle said.
But it will be too late in the spring to tap into student volunteers, he said.
Habitat for Humanity of Goldsboro-Wayne has built seven houses over the past several years with Mount Olive Partners for Habitat -- six in town and one in the Beautancus community southeast of town.
Partners for Habitat of Mount Olive is a loose-knit organization made up of churches, businesses, clubs and individuals.
The house in spring will be the 79th new construction by Habitat for Humanity of Goldsboro-Wayne.
Once the build starts, volunteers can visit the organization's website, www.habitatgoldsboro.org, to sign up for dates and times.
"It is not mandatory," he said. "If somebody shows up and has not signed up online, we are not usually going to turn them away. But it is nice to know so that our site supervisor will know what to expect on any given day."
The volunteer days will be Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday primarily, Whittle said.
For questions or more information on the Mount Olive build, contact Whittle at 919-736-9592, ext. 5.
To donate, visit www.habitatgoldsboro.org. Checks can be mailed to 131 E. Walnut St., Goldsboro, N.C., 27530, with "Mount Olive Build 2018" in the memo line.