Members of Fayetteville First UMC’s Square Foot Ministry recently completed a Memorial Day project and named it in memory of long-time member, Rob Palin.

The Rob Palin Memorial Build involved approximately 60 volunteers from Fayetteville First United Methodist Church, Fayette Presbyterian Church, Norcross First United Methodist Church, and Lawrenceville Church of God.

Fayetteville’s Square Foot Ministry partnered with the Chattahoochee Fuller Project Center of Lanet, Ala. (fullercenter.org) to build three houses over the Memorial Day weekend. The center is attempting to eliminate substandard housing in the area which has been seriously affected by a downturn in the textile industry. Their goal is to build 500 homes.

The three houses for this project were built on land where a “crack” apartment house previously stood.

As with many of the projects SFM sponsors, three churches assumed the responsibility for “pre-framing” the houses. The assembled walls were then loaded onto flatbed trucks and transported to West Point.

Work began on Friday morning, May 23, when the walls were unloaded. By the end of the day, the walls and part of the trusses on three houses were up. On Saturday, the volunteers completed interior siding and roofing work.

For these houses, the Alumni Association of Notre Dame University, who call themselves the “Hammerin’ Irish,” will come in to work on the interiors after professional contractors complete the electrical, plumbing, and heating and air conditioning work. The houses will be dedicated on June 13 and the families will be able to move in during the latter part of June.

Fayetteville’s SFM is also very involved in efforts to rebuild the Gulf Coast following Hurricane Katrina in 2005. To date, the group has built 19 homes in that area. SFM is planning another trip to the area later this year.

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