From final touches to final signatures, today, Friday, May 30 marks the final step to providing six Columbia Falls families safe, decent and affordable homes. Since 2004, Habitat for Humanity has been working in partnership with the City of Columbia Falls, building material suppliers, contractors and volunteers from all over the Flathead Valley to help six families build their homes.
Saturday, May 10 marked the last day for volunteers on the site in Mosquito Flats. It was fitting that the crews were predominantly women volunteering under the Lowe’s Women Build Week program. “Lowe’s has been a major sponsor in building these homes”, said Dave Williams, president of Habitat for Humanity Flathead Valley, “They provided a large sponsorship last year when we built one of the homes under the Women Build program which included over 300 women volunteers to build the home and $25,000 from Lowe’s to finance the construction of the home. It makes sense for them to play another major role in hosting the final volunteer day at this site and to provide the final touches on these last two homes.”
Below, a team of women of all ages join together to put the finishing touches on the Aasheim home’s landscaping.
The Lowe’s program on May 10 included volunteers from our local Lowe’s team along with a grant for $5000 and all landscape plants and finishing materials to complete the final two homes. “The landscape looks just beautiful. We just want to say thank you for what has been done for us and wanted you and everyone else to know that we are very grateful!”, Monica Aasheim, proud new homeowner.
Today, Habitat closed with the Aasheim family on the last Habitat home to be built in Mosquito Flats. At 1pm today, the Aasheim family were handed the keys and became the proud owners of a home that they built along with over 650 new and some old friends from all over the Valley.
The Habitat for Humanity program shines a light on the level of accomplishment people from all walks of life that share the same vision can achieve. “I’m finding today is really like any other day around the Habitat for Humanity office. We will be partnering with people and organizations like Glacier Bank, Stewart Title, and Montana Board of Housing to deliver affordable homes to families while raising the funds to build the next home.
Glacier Bank is covering the processing of this loan, while Stewart Title is completing the closing and Montana Board of Housing will buy the loan and provide Habitat the face value of the mortgage to fund the building of the next home. It’s like a small ripple that forms into a wave.”, said Layah Cottonwood, Habitat for Humanity Office Volunteer, “One individual or organization jumps on board to help, and then the next and the next and soon the community is pulling together and showing what really makes the Flathead a wonderful place to live – Small town values, lending a hand, and focusing on supporting the very fibers of our community – our families.”