Sylvania church, Jewish temple collaborating on Habitat house

Skeleton of 3-bedroom home goes up in 90 minutes despite heat

BY JESSICA SHOR
BLADE STAFF WRITER

Volunteer Kerri Gangwer, left, leads volunteers from Sylvania United Church of Christ and The Temple-Congregation Shomer Emunim in raising part a Habitat for Humanity house on Gramercy Avenue, between Detroit and Lewis avenues in West Toledo.

Blazing sun and temperatures hovering near 100 degrees did not slow Maumee Valley Habitat for Humanity volunteers Friday morning.

Volunteer Jake Bourey braves the heat to work on the three-bedroom Habitat house that will be occupied by a woman and her two young children. The house is expected to be finished by the end of July.

In just 90 minutes, builders erected 25 walls, creating the skeleton of a three-bedroom house at 327 Gramercy Ave. in West Toledo. Although frequent water breaks in the shade punctuated their work, volunteers expected to complete the frame of the roof and walls that afternoon, putting them on track to finish the house by the end of the month.

"It's definitely warm," said Laureen Knueven, a volunteer from Lourdes University. She has participated in projects in Texas, Alabama, and Florida, but said Toledo's heat wave made for the hottest working conditions.

"A lot of us lost power last night, so we're all thinking, 'Ugh, I'm not going home to air conditioning tonight.' We're spoiled, though," she said.

The house is being built for Roxanne Montez and her 11-year-old daughter and 2-year-old son. And it will have air conditioning, Ms. Knueven said.

Ms. Montez decided to apply for a Habitat home more than two years ago, after receiving an email about Maumee Valley Habitat for Humanity from a friend.

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