Rutherford Weekly

July 29, 2021

Rutherford Weekly - Shelby NC

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Discovering new ways to earn the required 300 sweat equity hours before ownership of a Habitat for Humanity home has certainly been a challenge for future Habitat families since the global pandemic. With COVID-19 restrictions, families weren't able to do hands-on work at the home but they still had to complete the required hours. Sheila Cain, Family Services/Community Outreach with Habitat for Humanity, and future Habitat homeowner Chad Davis sat down to talk about earning the hours since Chad is a future homeowner. Sheila, Chad, 37, and his two daughters came up with an impressive and innovative way to earn the hours. "They are too young to work on our construction site and other than their school grades, there were no other opportunities for that age group to work toward the sweat equity requirement the family has to meet," Sheila said. "And we think it's important that everyone in the family plays an active role in getting those hours because it gives them a sense of ownership in the house too." Chad wanted to keep his daughters, Melody, 8, and Malia, 6, busy with projects. Daughter Melody especially enjoys art. From the fi rst conversation, the siblings along with their dad, began creating thank-you cards, booklets and thank-you baskets for Habitat volunteers. "When Chad fi rst brought the thank-you cards and booklets they had made, I was shocked," Sheila said. "I was expecting maybe 25 or so and they had made 76 booklets and 20 cards. A few weeks later they brought baskets with mints or Snickers bars in them with a sweet message and we thought those were precious too." Chad, who works two full-time jobs, said he and the girls found some of the project ideas from Pinterest and others from each other. More than a year after the ground breaking for their new home in Spindale on Feb. 29, 2020, the siblings and Chad actually made 170 multi-page booklets fi lled with art work, drawings and words of thanksgiving to all volunteers. Using acronyms for Habitat, the Davises created art work for: Humble, Awesome, Brave, Intelligent,Trustworthy, Achievable and Thankful. For instance the art page with the word "Brave" features a volunteer climbing a ladder to work on the house. "Trustworthy" describes how the Habitat family feels about trusting the volunteers that their house is what they need and "Thankful" represents the family's feelings toward all volunteers. On each of the pages, there are rhymes written by Chad with illustrations from the girls. Melody and Malia also painted their handprints on construction paper and added the words, "Thank You Habitat for Your Helping Hand." The family gathered at the Habitat offi ce in Forest City recently and talked about the art work. Chad and his daughters were dressed in matching red shirts, red shoes and dark pants. One of Chads' hobbies is photography and he takes every opportunity to get the best photographs of his family as possible. "Each booklet took over an hour," said Chad of earning the hours. Melody said each book has at least fi ve pages with art, drawings and cutouts on each. On the Snickers candy bars the girls wrote, "Don't Snicker. We meant to say thank- you,." With painted popsicle sticks, they created the candy baskets that also included mints. "We Mint to Say Thank-You," they wrote on the baskets. When Melody and Malia fi rst began the art work, they did single sheets of construction paper but at the suggestion of their dad, they created the multi-page booklet. "I wanted them to spend more time on the thank-you booklets," Chad said. They had to have an abundance of supplies for such projects. "Some of the volunteers helped us," Melody said. The volunteers who assisted with buying supplies couldn't physically help at the home, but they wanted to do something to keep encouraging the little girls. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2. www.AmericanLegionWorldSeries.com Keeter Stadium at Veterans Field Open House August 10 7 pm - 9 pm Teams, Team Parents & General Public Invited ISSUE NO. 30 • July 29, ISSUE NO. 30 • July 29, 2021 • 2021 • RutherfordWeekly.com • 828-248-1408 RutherfordWeekly.com • 828-248-1408 Our 29 th Year • Over 25,000 Weekly Readers N.C. TRACTOR & FARM SUPPLY 299 Railroad Ave., Rutherfordton • 828-288-0395 Mobile: 828-429-5008 • mf1dpshehan@gmail.com IF YOU BUY ANYWHERE ELSE YOU WILL PAY TOO MUCH! IF YOU BUY ANYWHERE ELSE YOU WILL PAY TOO MUCH! PROUDLY SERVING RUTHERFORD, CLEVELAND, GASTON, LINCOLN, POLK COUNTIES AS THE AREAS HOMETOWN MASSEY FERGUSON DEALER. Earning sweat equity hours takes on an "artsy" look Habitat home: "A dream come true.' IN GOD WE TRUST! IN GOD WE TRUST! For inform t ation on applying and owning a Habitat for Humanity home in Rutherford County, call 828-248-3178 or visit www.rutherfordhfh.org or or or ema ma mail il il rch ch chab ab abit it itat at at@a @a @att tt tt n .n .net et et Article by Jean Gordon; Jean Gordon photos and contributed Groundbreaking for the Chad Davis family in February 2020 in Spindale. Melody, Malia and Chad Davis show off some of their thank-you notes. Melody and Malia thanking volunteers for their helping hands.

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