Article by Capt Ian Schoonbaert
From the 16 to 22 of August 2004, members of 91 Airfield Engineer Flight (AEF) Gander were involved with a Blitz Build for Cabot Habitat for Humanity in St. John’s, Newfoundland. Habitat for Humanity is a non-profit organization whose goal is to eliminate poverty housing and homelessness from the world, and to make decent shelter a matter of conscience and action.
Habitat invites people of all backgrounds, races and religions to build houses together in partnership with families in need. The organization has built more than 175,000 houses around the world, providing safe, decent, affordable shelter for more than 900,000 people. The Habitat program is not a giveaway. In addition to a down payment and monthly mortgage payments, homeowners invest hundreds of hours of their own labour - sweat equity - into building their Habitat house and the houses of others.
The Blitz Build in St. John’s entailed the construction of six homes in six days.
This proved to be a formidable task. 91 AEF volunteered its construction trades expertise to construct one of the six homes, house number six, for the Butt Family. On Monday members of the Flight showed up to a completed foundation with the goal of completing the home by the following Sunday. Members of the Flight knew that this would be a difficult undertaking and certainly hoped that the weather would cooperate. Happily it did.
Monday, Day One, was very productive yet gruelling. Our mission was to progress from a completed foundation to a weather-tight home by sundown. This entailed erecting the walls, installing the windows and doors, roof on, even shingling and siding! We thought Day one was going to be the most challenging and the week would become relatively easier as the work progressed. Indeed, this proved not to be the case; most days we worked from daylight to dusk to remain on schedule. By Day Six (Sunday), we had accomplished what at times we doubted - the home was finally complete. We were sore, dirty and physically exhausted however, at the same time we felt great.
The highlight of the Blitz Build occurred on Sunday 22nd of September at 3pm as we proudly handed over the keys of a brand new home to the Butt Family. They were ecstatic and very thankful for the opportunity provided to them by Habitat for Humanity. We too were thankful for the opportunity to take part in such an exhilarating and worthwhile experience.
Chimo!