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Volunteers Build Homes in the Spirit of Thanksgiving Holiday
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http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=FE87DB:3919ACA Thousands of
people joined together to build 51 homes in eight days for victims of
hurricanes in the southern US





The United States holiday of Thanksgiving is when Americans pause and
give thanks for their blessings. Some take it one step further, and
lend a hand to those less fortunate.   A report on one such project
taking place in downtown Washington D.C.







House frames being constructed next to the Washington MonumentThey
came by the thousands to this site at the foot of the Washington
Monument to help those who are suffering from Hurricane Katrina in the
southern Gulf States.  Sponsored by Habitat for Humanity, a charity
that builds homes for the poor, and Freddie Mac, one of the largest
mortgage lenders in the U.S., the goal is to frame 51 houses here and
ship them by truck to Mississippi and Louisiana. 

Ralph Boyd is Executive Vice President of Freddie Mac. "The idea was
to come together in the nation's capital and build as many homes as we
could in short order that could be shipped to the Gulf states to house
displaced families,” he told us.  “These are permanent homes that will
be given to families that have been displaced by the hurricanes."







Ralph Boyd, Executive Vice President, Fannie MacThe 51 homes represent
the 50 states and the District of Columbia.  Each house is named after
a state.

"This is the platform where the pieces are brought to and the frames
are put together," said Mr. Boyd.

Volunteers come mostly from the Washington area.  This is the house
representing the state of Illinois.  And members of Illinois Senator
Barack Obama's staff, including Elizabeth Drew, are helping.

"It's been fun, we are excited," she said.







Volunteer Elizabeth DrewThe houses contain 3 bedrooms, a living room,
Kitchen, and an option for two baths.

"It can accommodate a decent size family very comfortably," Mr. Boyd
pointed out.

Freddie Mac put $3.5 million into the project and one anonymous donor
put in another $800,000







51 house frames were constructed in eight days before being sent by
trucks for reassembly for those in need of new homes "Some of the
crew, the volunteers that worked on these homes, wrote messages on the
frames of the house to the people who will be receiving them,” said
Mr. Boyd.  “This particular message says, ‘May God bless this house’."

Appropriately, the project was undertaken in conjunction with the
holiday of Thanksgiving, first observed by an early community of
English settlers who had to help each other to survive.

"The fact that the help and the working together comes during the
holiday season is symbolic and I think fitting," said the very
satisfied officer at Freddie Mac.


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