Friday, September 19, 2003

Habitat offers hope on anniversary of tragedy

By LINDSAY BIANCHI
Special to The Citizen

Delta Air Lines employees know a lot about teamwork and when they get together with the Habitat for Humanity people, the end result is new homes and renewed neighborhoods.

Last Thursday, on the second anniversary of the 9/11 disaster, Habitat representatives and more than 50 Delta employees roused a Fairburn neighborhood bright and early with the sound of hammers and saws to begin the process of erecting four new homes.

An enthusiastic crowd of men and women were having a great time pitching in and making a difference in the lives of four people.

At 8:48 a.m., the clatter of construction ceased briefly and Rev. Charles Collier, a Habitat homeowner led the group in a moment of silence and prayer. The sounds of working hands rose again with new zeal while floors were laid and walls were made ready.

Around 11 a.m. a local gospel group, Remnant, sang "America the Beautiful" and "God Bless America" which put everyone present in a celebratory spirit.

Paul Graves, Vice President of Corporate and Community Affairs for Delta spoke to the crowd.

"Scarred hands can heal," he said. "Along with all the hammers missing and hitting a few fingers and knees being scraped, I'm sure there is some scarring going on, but there's also some healing going on here today as well. We have rebuilt communities. We have rebuilt lives. We've rebuilt hope, faith and opportunity."

Fairburn Mayor Betty Hannah was also on hand to lend moral support and voice her thanks to everyone sacrificing their time and energy.

"Good things happen when people get together deepening our ties and strengthening our faith in one another."

The mayor also talked about the significance of that day's events in light of 9/11.

"We're stronger for that day because we paused and we thought about our neighbors, who they were and we knew everyone stood strong and united and remembered America is great." After the brief ceremony, the crews on each house raised their first walls to lots of shouting and applauding.

Steve Scheeler, Delta's Environmental Coordinator explained the building procedure.

"The house leaders in yellow T-shirts are in charge of the crew leaders and the crew leaders will take care of a team. We have a crew leader making sure we have as many walls as we need at the right place according to plan. The house leaders keep in tune with the crew leaders making sure that each of the crews are not just building the same old place. And then once we get everything together the house leaders bounce around helping all the second crews make sure everything is on time."

One of the four houses being built had the unique distinction of being the first Habitat structure in Fulton County to be erected by an all woman crew.

Led by Gae Green, a technology developer with Delta for almost 15 years, the female team struck a blow for girl power.

"I grew up helping my dad remodel houses, but I've never been a lead on one. So this is a new experience for me." Green said.

When asked if there was any competition with the men, she said, "I think you saw a little ribbing going on here but they're just having fun. They are a tremendous help. On a project like this everyone works together. We're all working for the same cause. It's just phenomenal!"

Zondra Kurtz, the owner of the house being built by the women's crew heard about Habitat for Humanity through a friend and applied.

"I've been on the waiting list for about two years and just discovered about five weeks ago I was going to get a house."

Habitat owners have to help build their house and put in 150 hours of community service whether it's by helping others build their house or volunteering in their community.

"I started a couple of weeks ago on someone else's house to learn how to do this so I could get my hours in. I built a porch and then we built my porch the other day," Kurtz said.

It was clear Zondra looked forward to completing her home.

"We're going to be done on September 27. It will take nine days, Thursday, Friday and Saturday for the next three weeks. It's pretty exiting. I couldn't even sleep last night!"

A familiar face to many last week was Mary Ann Mullis, the "Tool Lady." In charge of keeping supplies flowing for the workers from a large trailer transformed into a giant toolbox, Mullis has been involved with Habitat since they raised their first house in the area in 1996. "I've worked on every house Habitat has built in South Fulton except one. I'm 71 and a little too old to get out there and swing a hammer, but I've done everything else."

Mary Lynn's husband, Wallace Mullis, who passed away in 1999 was also active in the Habitat projects and got her involved.

"My husband was very dedicated to Habitat for Humanity. When he died Habitat had the city of Fairburn change two blocks of Washington Street up here to Mullis Street."

Another pair of homeowners, Mark and Taurina Godfrey only had to wait a year to find themselves helping construct their own home. Taurina said she has helped build Habitat houses on Dodd Street and also volunteered her time to senior citizens and as a mentor to teens to fulfill her time quota.

Watching the workers on her house as we talked, Taurina said she had already picked out the colors for her house, light blue with black shutters. She was especially happy to have her good friend Pete Moore, a retired aircraft maintenance general manager for Delta on hand. Moore who also volunteered for the Olympics in 1996 met Taurina on another Habitat site and they became good friends.

Ella Screven and Cassandra Lawrence were the other two recipients of new dwellings. A dedication ceremony on October 18 at 11 a.m. is open to the general public.