1 Neighborhood

Four Families

Four Homes

Five Days

1,000+ Volunteer Hours!

Full list of donors here.

Welcome Home Starns, Winston, Webb-Page, and Grantham Families!

During the week of the HomeBuilders Blitz, at least 192 unskilled volunteers worked over 1,600 hours alongside over 400 skilled laborers to help make 4 new homes possible for the Starns, Winston, Webb-Page, and Grantham families.

Thank you to the Atkins Group, Ramshaw Real Estate, Signature Homes,

TimberCreek Developers, the volunteers, laborers and donors who made this possible!

Dedication Photos by Craig Chamberlain
Whirlwind Interfaith Chorus	Signature Homes and the Starns Family
The Atkins Group and Webb-Page Family	Bevin Webb gives thanks
Ramshaw Real Estate and the Winston Famile	Rhonda Winston gives thanks
The Winston boys join in the celebration
Rhonda Winston enters with her keys for the first time!

Drywall work that started on the four homes Tuesday afternoon carried over into the wee hours of Wednesday morning. Habitat's construction manager, Paul Zindars was on site until 2:30 in the morning to supervise work and help out the crews as needed. One crew reportedly didn't finish up until 4:30 Wednesday morning-- just two hours before work would officially start back up on each of the four sites!

With the drywall hung and taped, the homes were all prepped for Wednesday's work, which includes painting, installing cabinets, and trim work. On site at the Webb-Page home, so many workers were installing cabinets, trim, mirrors and countertops this afternoon that there was little room for the homeowners themselves to get a peek at what was going on inside. Outside, volunteers were building the porch and ramp that come off of the side of the home, and finishing up the landscaping out front.

The scene at the other three homes was similar. Workers were measuring, cutting, and installing trim in a flurry of activity simultaneously with crews who were working to install cabinets and to perform some of the labor still needed outdoors. In back of the Grantham home, volunteers painted a flower box, while a crew of concrete workers poured Roxanne and Melorine's new front walk. A second concrete truck was parked just yards away at the Winston home, churning as the work crew smoothed the concrete into wooden forms to create a front walk for Rhonda and her sons. Through the window, Rhonda's new cabinets and counter tops were visible--stacked up in her living room while volunteers completed trim work around the windows in the kitchen. All of the cabinets and countertops are to be installed by the end of the workday.

Throughout the week, most of the children of Habitat's new homeowners have been out, watching the progress of their homes, helping around the volunteer stations and at their own homes. "We haven't taken the kids to see the house yet," laughed Bevin Webb this afternoon. "We're going to wait until Friday, when the house is done. It is going to be the best surprise ever. I can't wait to see their faces."

Just hours after work wrapped up on the houses Monday evening, the first work crews pulled up to the Builder's Blitz sites again Tuesday morning. Labor is already underway to complete siding and roofing today, and to complete the utility rough-ins on the homes. At 3:00, work will stop, while the City of Champaign comes out to inspect the work. Later this afternoon, when the inspections are complete, work crews will arrive to begin installing the drywall for the homes. The drywall work is time intensive and tricky-after sheet rock is hung, skilled professionals will come in to tape and mud the walls, preparing them for painting. This work will carry through to Wednesday.

Monday
Monday morning at 5:30 am, the four Builders Blitz lots in Champaign looked desolate. Foundations and floor systems had been constructed in advance, but aside from piles of lumber and construction signs, the lots still looked empty. The first construction crews of the day arrived on the sites at about 6:30 in the morning. Approximately a dozen workers per site stormed the lots, raising exterior walls within just a couple hours. By midday, house wrap was stapled in place, and the interior walls had been raised. Before 2:00, the trusses and roof sheeting were being installed, and the porches were being built.

On site, Bevin Webb was looking at her home with wide eyes. "They're amazing," she said, gesturing to the framing crew that was hammering her trusses into place. "I can't wait to see Eric's face when he gets off work-he's not going to believe it." Bevin, her husband Eric, and their three children have been waiting for this week to come for a long time. They are excited that in just a few days, they will have a new home and will be able to move out of their crime-ridden neighborhood into a home with friendly neighbors and their own yard. Bevin talks about the play house that they will put up in back of the house for the kids, and about how they eventually want to fence in the back yard and get a family dog.

A couple streets over, Roxanne Grantham was on her own lot, watching her house go up. Like Bevin, Roxanne took the week off so that she and her daughter Mel could help out with the Blitz and watch their house being built. "Look at these men," she said, gesturing to Jim Walder, the owner of TimberCreek Developers, and his crew. "They are doing such a great job. Can you believe how much work they've gotten done today?" Roxanne pointed to the houses surrounding hers. Across the street lives her aunt, and her brother owns the house next door to hers. Mel pointed to another house, where her friends from school live.

As the afternoon drew on, over in the Winston home, the crew from Ramshaw was finishing its electrical rough-ins, while siding and roofing was being installed at the other three sites. Walking from lot to lot, all of the new homeowners were out with their children, looking at their homes with awe, and talking about their new responsibilities. "Do you think I'll have to shovel the alley in wintertime to get the car out?" asked Jackie Starns. "I just realized yesterday that I'll have to buy a garbage can," laughed Bevin, "I've never had to have an outdoor garbage can."

The workday drew to a close on Monday evening, and where four nearly empty lots stood just hours before, now stands what are unmistakably four new homes, one already complete with siding and shutters. Windows and doors locked shut for the night, and dozens of tired volunteers packed up their trucks for the night to head home for some much-needed sleep, after a hectic day and a job well done.

The Home Builders Blitz has begun!

Four ecstatic families watched from the sidelines as dozens of skilled laborers and suppliers drove up on Monday to begin construction of their homes. The Webb-Page, Starns, Winston, and Grantham families have been dreaming of this week for months now- it is the week that they will all become homeowners. The Atkins Group, Ramshaw Real Estate, Signature Homes, and Timbercreek Developers, in partnership with the four families, hundreds of companies and sub contractors, and Habitat for Humanity will build 4 homes this week, from floorboards to shingles. The homes will be dedicated to the families at the end of the week.

This is the most dynamic project that Habitat for Humanity of Champaign County has undertaken in our 16-year history. You are invited to watch the houses go up this week by staying tuned to this website and your favorite news channels, or by driving through the neighborhood, which is located north of Bradley Ave. between Neil and Market Streets in Champaign.

Visiting Habitat's Homebuilders Blitz
by Janni Tarver and Pat Lacey

It was only Day 2, about 5:15PM, of the Habitat for Humanity Homebuilders Blitz when Janni and I started visiting with workers and future homeowners. I couldn't believe how much work was done in just 2 days of hard work. The groups were so organized and the schedules were working out well. Their support volunteers were there in full force and seemed very organized, supplying food to the workers both at the tent and deliveries made to the homes. Janni and I were amazed at the progress and how up beat everyone seemed.

We started in the food tent and talked briefly with Brooks and DJ, a couple of local guys working as drywallers at the Starns Family house at 1312 Hickory. Their group of 4 had to complete the drywall work by 8PM. They had stopped for a quick bite. Brooks said, "Just knowing that we are helping people out" was a great feeling for him. When we went by that home later, there was so much action with drywall being applied, we couldn't really get inside the home.

From the food tent, we visited the Webb-Page home, 1403 N. Walnut, directly across the street. They had sod and plants in place this evening and the finish carpenters had started on the railing on the porch. Dean Mayfield of Mayfield Builders Inc. said the main reason he is helping out is "because it's fun". One of his crew, Joe, just seemed happy to be there to do what they could. The Webb-Page family was getting more excited each day. Kevin Brumback of the Atkins Group was watering the newly laid sod and felt the whole process is wonderful. "It's very satisfying to help a family and the neighborhood. The look in their eyes with the finished project says it all!"

At the Grantham family home, at 1302 Champaign, we talked with Mel who is turning 16 in a few days. She and her mom, Roxanne, explained a little about the process they went through, picking materials for their home. They went with the builder to several local stores and had to make several choices about which cabinets and fixtures and what flooring and carpets to choose. They chose a beautiful blue siding for the outside of their home.

We went on to the Winston home at 1310 Champaign. They were finishing the siding on the outside and a crew inside applying mud to the drywall. There were so many men working and wouldn't stop to eat, Nancy, one of the volunteers, brought pizza and soda to them. One of the workers mentioned it was a good thing that "mother" is here or you wouldn't believe my language. The crews seemed to enjoy visiting for just a few minutes when they finally reached a point where they could stop. Nancy was so happy to be helping out. She and her husband have been working with Habitat for years on different projects. "We were retired and just looking for volunteer work and felt such a sense of community and life has given us so much". One of the family members, Jamare was helping eat pizza with the men and is pictured with Mike of the Kodiak group.

Kay Maguire Interviews...
On Monday June 5, 2006 at the HomeBuilders Blitz, Kay McGuire of Urbana and the US Army research lab in Champaign, Construction Engineering Research Laboratory (CERL) interviewed volunteers and workers.

Karen Hite, 1999 Habitat Homeowner and Blitz volunteer has continued to volunteer for Habitat through the HOMEWORKS store. She also visits with the University of Illinois student chapter. "It was truly a blessing to get a Habitat house, but more of a blessing to work on them."

Kirk Skelton, builder from The Atkins Group working on the Walnut St. house, described the day as going well, even ahead of schedule. "We have had a good team in planning, have had good meetings to get it organized. I'm glad to be here."

Bevin Webb-Page and Eric Page, soon to be new home owners of the Walnut Street house, are "excited, but are having to do some packing too... (The) most exciting thing - to have our own home... the neighborhood we are in now is not good for our children, we're scared there." Their church and family are helping them put in 500 "sweat equity" hours; Eric also volunteers at HOMEWORKS. "(W)e sure didn't think this would happen to us" (with huge smiles on their faces).

Jim Crawford, a builder with Dillman Brothers working on the house on Hickory, was VERY busy measuring and then cutting siding from measurements yelled to him form several guys up working on the house. "This is good, have a good crew, work together well, glad we can help."

Rhonda Winston, soon to be new homeowner of 1310 Champaign St., describes the experience as "more than cool." She applied in October '05 and was notified of acceptance in February of '06. "I can't wait to have more bathrooms than I have now. This is my first home of my own. Friends and family are helping - even my boss is coming out this week. I have attended classes on budgeting, understanding credit, things to know when you own a house. I got to pick out everything inside and out - carpet, cabinets, counter tops, color of siding, roof. When I get the keys in my hand will be wonderful. And yes, I will always volunteer for Habitat."

Melorene Grantham, turning 16 on day four of the Blitz, is moving into the TimberCreek house with her mother Roxanne. "I'm excited, I get to paint my own room. Our neighbors are excited about our house - we will be near my grandmother's best friend and others I know. I have been attending classes with my Mom - I like being involved in this."

Drywall work that started on the four homes Tuesday afternoon carried over into the wee hours of Wednesday morning. Habitat's construction manager, Paul Zindars was on site until 2:30 in the morning to supervise work and help out the crews as needed. One crew reportedly didn't finish up until 4:30 Wednesday morning-- just two hours before work would officially start back up on each of the four sites!

With the drywall hung and taped, the homes were all prepped for Wednesday's work, which includes painting, installing cabinets, and trim work. On site at the Webb-Page home, so many workers were installing cabinets, trim, mirrors and countertops this afternoon that there was little room for the homeowners themselves to get a peek at what was going on inside. Outside, volunteers were building the porch and ramp that come off of the side of the home, and finishing up the landscaping out front.

The scene at the other three homes was similar. Workers were measuring, cutting, and installing trim in a flurry of activity simultaneously with crews who were working to install cabinets and to perform some of the labor still needed outdoors. In back of the Grantham home, volunteers painted a flower box, while a crew of concrete workers poured Roxanne and Melorine's new front walk. A second concrete truck was parked just yards away at the Winston home, churning as the work crew smoothed the concrete into wooden forms to create a front walk for Rhonda and her sons. Through the window, Rhonda's new cabinets and counter tops were visible--stacked up in her living room while volunteers completed trim work around the windows in the kitchen. All of the cabinets and countertops are to be installed by the end of the workday.

Throughout the week, most of the children of Habitat's new homeowners have been out, watching the progress of their homes, helping around the volunteer stations and at their own homes. "We haven't taken the kids to see the house yet," laughed Bevin Webb this afternoon. "We're going to wait until Friday, when the house is done. It is going to be the best surprise ever. I can't wait to see their faces."

Just hours after work wrapped up on the houses Monday evening, the first work crews pulled up to the Builder's Blitz sites again Tuesday morning. Labor is already underway to complete siding and roofing today, and to complete the utility rough-ins on the homes. At 3:00, work will stop, while the City of Champaign comes out to inspect the work. Later this afternoon, when the inspections are complete, work crews will arrive to begin installing the drywall for the homes. The drywall work is time intensive and tricky-after sheet rock is hung, skilled professionals will come in to tape and mud the walls, preparing them for painting. This work will carry through to Wednesday.

Monday
Monday morning at 5:30 am, the four Builders Blitz lots in Champaign looked desolate. Foundations and floor systems had been constructed in advance, but aside from piles of lumber and construction signs, the lots still looked empty. The first construction crews of the day arrived on the sites at about 6:30 in the morning. Approximately a dozen workers per site stormed the lots, raising exterior walls within just a couple hours. By midday, house wrap was stapled in place, and the interior walls had been raised. Before 2:00, the trusses and roof sheeting were being installed, and the porches were being built.

On site, Bevin Webb was looking at her home with wide eyes. "They're amazing," she said, gesturing to the framing crew that was hammering her trusses into place. "I can't wait to see Eric's face when he gets off work-he's not going to believe it." Bevin, her husband Eric, and their three children have been waiting for this week to come for a long time. They are excited that in just a few days, they will have a new home and will be able to move out of their crime-ridden neighborhood into a home with friendly neighbors and their own yard. Bevin talks about the play house that they will put up in back of the house for the kids, and about how they eventually want to fence in the back yard and get a family dog.

A couple streets over, Roxanne Grantham was on her own lot, watching her house go up. Like Bevin, Roxanne took the week off so that she and her daughter Mel could help out with the Blitz and watch their house being built. "Look at these men," she said, gesturing to Jim Walder, the owner of TimberCreek Developers, and his crew. "They are doing such a great job. Can you believe how much work they've gotten done today?" Roxanne pointed to the houses surrounding hers. Across the street lives her aunt, and her brother owns the house next door to hers. Mel pointed to another house, where her friends from school live.

As the afternoon drew on, over in the Winston home, the crew from Ramshaw was finishing its electrical rough-ins, while siding and roofing was being installed at the other three sites. Walking from lot to lot, all of the new homeowners were out with their children, looking at their homes with awe, and talking about their new responsibilities. "Do you think I'll have to shovel the alley in wintertime to get the car out?" asked Jackie Starns. "I just realized yesterday that I'll have to buy a garbage can," laughed Bevin, "I've never had to have an outdoor garbage can."

The workday drew to a close on Monday evening, and where four nearly empty lots stood just hours before, now stands what are unmistakably four new homes, one already complete with siding and shutters. Windows and doors locked shut for the night, and dozens of tired volunteers packed up their trucks for the night to head home for some much-needed sleep, after a hectic day and a job well done.

More to come-- stay tuned!

About the Blitz

Over 27,000 people live in poverty in Champaign County. Those families are unable to improve their situation for many reasons, among them the discrepancy between wages and housing costs in this community.

Habitat for Humanity is just one partner for families in need, offering a "hand up" through no-interest mortgages and decent, appropriately-sized homes.

Over the last 16 years, we've built 40 homes. From June 5 - 9 we will build four, all in a three-block radius in north Champaign, through the HomeBuilders Blitz program. Through Habitat's homes, these families will have a new beginning for themselves as well as their new neighborhood.

The home materials and construction labor have been generously donated by area businesses (The Atkins Group, Ramshaw Real Estate, Signature Homes, TimberCreek Developers and many of their subcontractors and suppliers) but we are calling on all citizens to make time to fill our thousands of volunteer hours and help us feed many hungry and hardworking mouths.

Thank you for your help in making these four homes a reality for the Starns, Webb, Grantham, and Winston families!