Plano church provides homes for deserving families

When you drive by a prominent church in the middle of Plano, the last thing you might expect to see is a house being built from the ground up in the parking lot. However, if you drive past Christ United Methodist Church at Parker and Coit roads, that is exactly what you'll find.

For each of the past seven years, Christ United Methodist Church and its volunteers have built a house for a deserving family. A corner of the parking lot has been blocked off to serve as the construction site, thus giving the project the name "House on the Corner."

According to volunteer HOTC project manager Glen Thornton and HOTC communications coordinator and crew chief Tina Wilson, the project was created after Reverend Don Underwood began looking for ways to galvanize the congregation.

"It wasn't part of the original concept," Thornton said. "But our senior pastor wanted to know if there was a way to help. It has always been a big part of having the building process start here and then moving the house. It's here, visible and it's one of the things that sets us apart. We want to grow the community and the congregation here, and that was the original concept."

The house is on track for an October completion. However, one thing is missing: a family.

"We are focusing on finding an owner," Thornton said. "We put the word out to the community where the house goes, which is the Douglass Community. We have people applying, and there has been a steady flow; but as we talked, it's just really tough this year to find the right family. If we could reach out to more people, that would be great."

There are several criteria that need to be met in order for a family to be selected by the committee. The family must have one to three children 18 years or younger living at home; must make a family commitment to work on the construction of the home 75 percent of the scheduled work days; and parent or parents must be employed and have been employed continuously for a minimum of one year. Parents must also pre-qualify for a loan and sign a release for credit check and criminal background check and must be able to afford a monthly payment up to $550 for housing costs. Family income may not exceed the HUD 80 percent limit. Other stipulatons can be found on the church's website.

But even without a family named, the volunteers are still constructing the house as if there were. The building process begins in May and runs through October to allow for more volunteer participation.

"We start out here in the parking lot in mid-May, working every Saturday until completion in October," Wilson said. "The project is entirely run by volunteers."

Along with the donation of time and energy, Thornton said local companies have really helped move the projects along.

"We start from scratch," Thornton said. "We have been getting a HUD grant from the city of Plano, and that is part of what pays for the house; the other part is that we sell it to the family. From those two pieces, we have funds enough to move on to the next house. We get a lot of donations and recently had sheetrock donated as well as the air conditioning, compressor plus the installation. We will use 80 gallons of paint, which we received from Sherwin Williams."

The project averages about 300 unique volunteers each week, including 10 members on the leadership team, 25 crew chiefs and 12 members on the volunteer management team. The house is completely built within 20 Saturdays. The volunteers' ages range from young children, accompanied by parents, to about 70, Wilson said.

"It gives volunteers a sense of helping others, which they might not get otherwise," Thornton said. "You also get the fellowship of a larger group and get to know other people."

Wilson agreed.

"We have had a marriage," Wilson said. "They met doing House on the Corner and another program called Disaster Response Team, and between those two projects, they were married a year ago in October. They are my best friends; all of my best friends are out there doing House on the Corner."

Beverly Wester has been volunteering with the HOTC for the past three years and has seen the benefits firsthand.

"It makes you appreciate so much the people here and their wonderful, caring attitude," Wester said. "This church cares about other people, and we show it in action. It is a remarkable experience. You work with people of all ages. Just because I am old, it doesn't mean I can't do things to contribute. Although I am not going to work with a nail gun, it doesn't mean that I can't do other things like paint or garden once the house has moved. It has been a marvelous tool to bring in new members of the congregation."

The house is scheduled to be moved to the new location at midnight on Aug. 30, but there is still more work to be done.

Those wishing to volunteer must be 16 years old to assist with construction, which is scheduled for 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. every Saturday. Lunch is provided, as is child care through September. According to the CUMC website, children ages 6-12 must have a parent working support alongside them. A Volunteer Support Team will assist with setting up the volunteer area on the morning of construction, checking workers in, handing out cold drinks and ensuring the safety of the workers. For information about the house or to volunteer or apply, visit cumc.com.

Current Rating: 0 of 0 votes!

Rate File: Select Rating: * ** *** ****

 Plano Apartments
 Plano Attorneys
 Plano Auto Dealers
 Plano Auto Parts
 Plano Auto Repair
 Plano Beauty Salons
 Plano Car Rental
 Plano Dentists
 Plano Doctors
 Plano Flowers
 Plano Hotels
 Plano Insurance
 Plano Loans
 Plano Mortgages
 Plano Movers
 Plano Pizza
 Plano Realtors
 Plano Restaurants
 Plano Storage
 Plano Tax Preparation
 Plano Travel
 Featured
 More...