SIUSLAW NEWS | WEDNESDAY, JULY 25, 2018 | 3A
G ENERAL N EWS
Nopal Street home marks 30th for local ‘Habitat’ program
By Damien Sherwood
For Siuslaw News
A
Florence family cele-
brated new home own-
ership Sunday in a ded-
ication ceremony at a freshly
renovated Habitat for Humani-
ty house on Nopal Street.
Kristy Cobbs received the
keys to the 3-bedroom house,
concluding a months-long pro-
cess of qualifying.
“This is just amazing,” said
Cobbs. “I get to come to this ev-
ery day now.”
House gifts such as food and
furniture were donated by var-
ious community members and
organizations including Gro-
cery Outlet, Sand Ranch and
Morningstar Quilters.
“I was really blown away with
the whole community’s gener-
osity,” Cobbs said.
While a community’s gen-
erosity goes a long way toward
securing homes for the needy,
Habitat homes are far from a
donation.
“The big misconception out nonprofit to contract families families.
“It really is gratifying to see
there is that we’re building and with zero percent interest.
“In most cases, a family’s the security it brings a fami-
giving families homes,” said
Habitat for Humanity Board mortgage payment will be sig- ly,” Harklerode said. “When
families
have
President
Mike
roots, they can
Harklerode. “We
dig in and the
do not do that.”
roots
spread
Families hoping
throughout the
to qualify for Hab-
c o m m u n i t y.
itat homes must
Kids are more
meet certain crite-
secure and, in
ria based on need
their family life,
and undergo a
the parents are
process which in-
more financial-
volves a good deal
—Mike Harklerode, Florence Habitat for Human-
ly secure. They
of paperwork, in-
ity board president
don’t have to
terviews, financial
worry about a
literacy training
landlord chang-
and “sweat equi-
ing the rent pay-
ty” whereby labor
hours are committed to house nificantly less than average ments or trying to sell a home
when the market is hot.”
construction or other volunteer rent,” Harklerode said.
The Cobbs make the 30th
Homeowners are also re-
efforts. If selected, families then
receive their house on a 30-year quired to maintain their home family to be awarded a house by
and the nonprofit administers a Florence Habitat for Humanity
mortgage.
Habitat for Humanity offers zero-tolerance policy for illegal from a total of 28 houses Habi-
tat houses built and sold in the
what it calls “affordable mort- activity.
Providing all criteria are met, area.
gages” largely thanks to vol-
“Of the 28 homes that we’ve
unteerism driving down their Habitat homes provide an ave-
house prices, which enables the nue for success for struggling sold, we’re still holding 21
“When families have roots,
they can dig in and the roots
spread throughout the
community...”
mortgages. This’ll be number
22,” said Habitat for Humanity
Executive Director Janell Mor-
gan.
The Cobbs’ new home on
Nopal Street had previously
been occupied by a family who
invested sweat equity into its
construction.
“They outgrew the house,”
said Morgan. When the previ-
ous family’s size increased, they
sold the house back to Habitat
for Humanity and bought their
own home.
“Actually, this is the perfect
success story,” Morgan said.
“The ideal situation is when
they can move to a convention-
al mortgage and then we can
place another family.”
Habitat for Humanity’s mod-
el for success includes edu-
cating new homeowners on
financial responsibility and
household management, skills
that in the future may enable
them to independently upgrade
their housing situation like No-
pal Street’s previous residents.
“The home did exactly for
them what it needed to do,” said
Harklerode. “They built equi-
ty and moved up into a bigger
home — one that fits their fam-
ily’s needs.”
The nonprofit is hopeful for
more success stories like these
and another housing project is
planned to start within the next
month, but the hunt for volun-
teer labor is perpetual.
“We’d like to get back to one
new home per year,” said Har-
klerode. “To do that, we need
people who can do everything
from the ground up construc-
tion-wise and can do it volun-
teering.
“For us, it’s not the construc-
tion costs as much as the labor.”
For beneficiaries of such ef-
forts like Cobbs, the impact can
be life-changing.
“It’s given me a lot more con-
fidence and pride in myself,”
she said. “It’s proof that with a
little hard work, you can over-
come anything.”
Coast Guard Auxiliary members recognized for Vietnam-era service
On July 21, members of U.S.
Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla
52 received Vietnam Veteran
Lapel Pins during a pinning
ceremony held at Station Siu-
slaw River, as part of an ongo-
ing national effort to honor all
Vietnam-era Veteran military
service members during the
50th Anniversary of the Viet-
nam War.
Living United States veter-
ans who served active duty in
the U.S. Armed Forces at any
time during the period of Nov.
1, 1955, to May 15, 1975, are
eligible to receive one of the
lapel pins.
Flotilla 52 has several mil-
itary veterans who served
during that time period. This
program makes no distinction
between veterans who served
in-country, in-theater or who
were stationed elsewhere
during the Vietnam War peri-
od. All were called to serve.
The front of the lapel pin
displays an eagle positioned
in front of an American Flag,
and surrounded by a blue lau-
rel wreath. The back of the
pin contains the message: “A
Grateful Nation Thanks and
Honors You,” and includes
the official name of the Com-
memoration.
The Commemoration’s pri-
mary objective, as penned
by Congress, is to thank and
honor Vietnam veterans and
their families for their service
and sacrifice on behalf of the
nation.
Different levels of this pro-
PHOTO BY/DEBORAH HELDT CORDONE, USCGAUX PA3
Overwhelmed with the thought of moving?
“The Man with the Plan”
Members of U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 52 receive
Vietnam Veteran Lapel Pins during a meeting on July 21 at
Station Siuslaw River. (From left) John Marconi, Chief Petty
Of-ficer, USCG, Retired; Norm Hoffman, Brig. Gen., USA,
Retired; Kenneth Cates, Master Ser-geant, USA, Retired. Not
shown: Rick Parsons, USCG, Retired, and William Ebert, USA,
Retired, Aviation.
Direct (541) 991-0607
gram have been in the works,
via Congress, for over 10
years.
Congress articulated four
additional objectives for
the Commemoration: to
highlight the service of our
Armed Forces and support
organizations during the war;
pay tribute to wartime con-
tributions at home by Amer-
ican citizens; highlight tech-
nology, science and medical
advances made during the
war; and recognize contribu-
tions by our Allies.
For more information
about the United States of
America Vietnam War Com-
memoration or information
about receiving a pin, visit
www.viet namwar50th.com.
For more information about
the USCG Auxiliary, visit
www.cgaux.org.
— Submitted by Deborah Hel-
dt Cordone, USCGAUX PA3
Email Mr.Listit@gmail.com
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