Habitat For Humanity Builds Home For Bedford FF's

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Habitat project builds Westchester homes for first responders

By DIANA BELLETTIERI

THE JOURNAL NEWS

(Original publication: December 5, 2005)

BEDFORD — Charlotte Fabiani and Adina Goldman sacrificed the comfort of their homes yesterday to stand in the snow and paint a vacant house as Habitat for Humanity volunteers.

Although the ranch-style house with white shingles and forest green shutters is still a work in progress, a town firefighter will soon call it home.

Habitat for Humanity of Westchester has coined the project First Homes for First Responders. The nonprofit group is working on the house with Blue Mountain Housing Development Corp., Bedford's affordable housing division.

"It's about having fun and helping people at the same time," said Goldman, a 15-year-old sophomore at the Solomon Schechter School of Westchester.

After a morning of sanding, painting and hammering, the volunteers were treated to a variety of snacks during a ceremony of appreciation.

It is anticipated that work will continue until the end of January, with a family moving in during the spring. A second home on the same plot of land — at the end of a cul-de-sac off Route 22 — is also in the works.

Before building in Bedford, Habitat for Humanity's First Homes for First Responders program constructed two homes for Ossining firefighters.

James Killoran, executive director of Habitat for Humanity of Westchester, said the goal was to expand the program. Since 1988, Habitat of Humanity has built 25 houses in the county. In the next year, 10 houses will be built in Yonkers, Ossining and White Plains. Twenty-five additional houses are being proposed for Yonkers, he said.

"These are walls of love," Killoran said, as he stood in what will soon be a living room. "We're really helping people to have simple, decent homes."

Bedford Supervisor Lee Roberts said the homes help to foster community spirit. She said they are a way to thank community volunteers who work in a region in which property can be prohibitively expensive.

"It is essential to provide affordable housing for people who volunteer for our community," she said. "We're able to give something back to them."

Tom O'Brien, a Bedford architect, volunteered to design the second Bedford house.

As pastor of the Bedford Presbyterian Church, Paul Alcorn said he believes a healthy community must be heterogeneous. The church donated $20,000 to the project.

"A section of the community is getting squeezed out of Bedford, such as municipal workers, police officers, firefighters," he said. "I think this is one way we can say that all these people belong in the community."

To get involved

To learn more about Habitat for Humanity of Westchester, contact James Killoran at 914-636-8335, Ext. 101, e-mail:

jim@habitatwc.org or visit

www.habitatwc.org.

[Guest]

Pretty nifty!