With love and generosity, a home arises from the ashes

The Phoenix 

by David J. Lanska

Wisps of fiery essence

tease the smoldering embers.

The past is all but ashes now.

It seems no one remembers.

The promise of the days of old

are charred to chalky black.

We wish for that which once was ours,

But there is no going back.

Staring at the ashen remnants

of those days gone by.

with great despair and sorrow,

a tear drops from the eye.

But just when faith seems all but lost

and anguish rears its face,

a spark of hope is brought to life.

Tranquility takes its place.

With wings aflame and golden feathers

she reaches for the sky:

A symbol for eternity,

of hope that will not die.

With shrieks of joy she sings a song

sure to lift the spirit

of any downcast traveler,

fortunate to hear it.

Rebirth, resurrection and harmony

are amongst her grandest tricks.

She’s known throughout antiquity

as the fabled bird called Phoenix.

Reborn.  Risen from the ashes. Baptized by fire. Resurrected.  The mighty phoenix.  Forgive me if I wax poetic, but inspiration comes in unlikely places and at unlikely times.  On a quiet street in the neighborly city of Beaver Dam, a home was reborn this past Saturday, built on the foundation of its fire-ravaged predecessor, (the burned out remnants of a single family house that once scarred this neighborhood).  

 Rising from the ashes like a phoenix, a new home and a new hope took shape from the love, generosity and effort of the community.  The site was donated through the gracious generosity of its owner, Shannon Klein.  What remained of the structure was cleared.  The soot-encased basement was cleaned and repaired to become the foundation for the new home.  After 3430 hours of labor from a sea of volunteers, the house was ready for its new life as the home of the Ewert family.   

More than 550 amazing volunteers came from church groups, businesses and schools from across southeastern Wisconsin to participate.  Even an intrepid basketball team from southern Chicago graced the site with its effort, enthusiasm and energy.  

The 2 x 4s that frame the house very literally tell the unique story of love, encouragement and hope that this community wanted to convey to its newest members.  As part of a fundraiser, hundreds of people made a heartfelt donation to the project in cash and words inscribed onto the lumber:  a time capsule for the future - encased in the drywall.      

 

For the nearly 90 families, businesses, churches, financial institutions and foundations that partnered with Habitat for Humanity of Washington and Dodge Counties to provide materials, labor and much appreciated funds for the build, the dedication marks their continuing commitment to help those in need in the community.    

For Stacy Ewert, the dedication marks a rebirth of her own spirit and the hope for a better life for her sons, Colten and Nicholas.  How do you provide a future for your kids?  How do you house them, when two incomes become one?  Feeling helpless and alone, she felt like there was no safety net.  No one was there to help.  

 

Living in a scant apartment nestled between two bars, she struggled to make ends meet for her family.  With no yard for the kids and their pet dog, Harley, she sought out a new place to live.  She fell in love with Beaver Dam and desperately wanted to move there so her sons could be more involved in the sports they enjoy.  Unable to find anything she could afford, her hopes began to dim.  

Stacy didn’t know what the answer was or how she would find it.  Like the words of a country song, her answer came over the speakers in her car…in the form of a radio commercial.   Habitat for Humanity was looking for a partner family in Dodge County for a build already underway in Beaver Dam.  Cue the chorus of fiddle and guitar.  

As a single mother of two working for a local auto parts merchant, Stacy was surprised to discover that she might actually qualify for the program.  The application process was straightforward and went quickly.  Her income was verified and a committee evaluated her living situation.  Within a short time, the selection committee called her with the news: The Ewerts were chosen to be the newest Habitat partner family.  

As conditions of the program, Stacy happily performed the required 12 hours of community service, as well as the 250 hours partnering with Habitat (split between volunteering at the Beaver Dam ReStore and providing her own labor at the build site).  

She gets a little choked up talking about the experience.  While she once felt isolation, the generosity and selflessness of the hundreds of volunteers, sponsors and Habitat partners paints the picture of a community rallying to support one of its own.  She no longer feels alone because she knows she has the love and support of the community.  With the symbolic handing over of the keys by Site Supervisor Tony Koebel, Stacy was welcomed into the Habitat family. 

This dedication marked the 30^th home build in Washington and Dodge Counties.  With as many as five new homes built each year and 25 to 30 home repairs, the local affiliate continues its mission and ministry of providing  affordable housing to those in need.  Through donated labor, materials and much needed funds, Habitat is able to build modest, energy efficient homes at a reasonable cost.  Passing those costs on to the new homeowners through affordable financing packages is how Habitat provides a hand up instead of a handout.  Since its inception roughly 30 years ago, the Habitat ministry has enriched the lives of one million families worldwide with the blessing of affordable home ownership.   

As I toured the small ranch home after the dedication I was struck by the juxtaposition of old and new; of tragedy yielding to optimism.  On this very spot, a family’s home was once devastated by fire.  Through that tragedy, generosity created the opportunity for a new family to have a new life.  

For Stacy and her boys, 254 Walnut Street is more than an address.  It is much more than just a house.  It is a symbol of hope and rebirth.  It is a reminder that everyone faces challenges and adversity at some point in their lives, but they don’t have to face them alone.  The basement walls, where aged block cradles modern framing, provide a constant reminder of the love and support of those around us.  From the ashes, a phoenix has arisen.  Its wings outstretched and graced by the sun, it rises aloft oblivious to the constraints of gravity.  

Habitat National Women Build Week Information Session

Checking in on the newest additions to the Habitat family.

On January 10^th, Habitat for Humanity of Washington and Dodge Counties dedicated its 29^th home, turning over the keys to Alyssa Thimmesch and her 5-year-old daughter, Analiesia.   A few weeks later, the Thimmesch’s have moved and are beginning to settle in.  Alyssa is still working to turn the house into their home, but with Analiesia’s artwork already taking a prominent place on the refrigerator door, they are well on their way.

After months of searching and unable to find an affordable apartment, Alyssa and Analiesia shared a room in her Mother’s house; a small home which they shared with 4 other people.  As grateful as she was to her family for a roof over her and Analiesia’s heads, quarters were cramped and there wasn’t much privacy. Alyssa has had plenty of experience with moving, so now knowing she doesn’t have to worry about moving again is “a huge relief”.

Though she didn’t initially think she would qualify for a Habitat home, she heard that Habitat was looking for partner families for home projects.  Her Dad, who owns a Habitat home in Sheboygan Falls for roughly 21 years, encouraged her to apply.  Alyssa met all of the requirements and was quickly accepted into the program.  She has held a steady job for over a year, was able to come up with the required down payment and was eager to fulfill the community service and “sweat equity” components of the program.    

For Alyssa, a single mother, who works as a nursing assistant at Cedar Community, it was a huge challenge to put in the required hours of sweat equity (helping to build her new home). She has been going to school full time, working full time, and taking care of Analiesia.  It was tough, but having the stability of a home of her own was an important cornerstone to the future she is working to build for her daughter and herself.  She said there were a lot of tears involved, both happy and overwhelmed.  It was a challenge to take on so many responsibilities.  She would get up early, spend a few hours in the morning with Analiesia, get her off to school, head to the build site, rush home to change, head off to work/school, pick up Analiesia,  say ‘goodnight’ and do their bedtime routine, then hit the books. The next day, she would get up and repeat the process.  Alyssa continues to work toward completion of her nursing degree.  Her goal is to achieve her BSN within the next few years.  Even with all that going on, toward the end of the build, Alyssa would spend late hours (a few times as late as 3 AM) at the site painting, finalizing projects, and cleaning up.  

Alyssa considers herself to be pretty handy and said she really enjoyed being part of the build.  She enjoyed the process and devoted over 300 hours of effort to the build.  She was there from digging the foundation to roofing, drywall and mudding, as well as putting all the finishing touches on.  “It was quite a bit of work, but so much fun!”

Knowing what she put into the build gave her a tremendous appreciation for the volunteers that 

put in so much effort throughout the process.  She is also extremely grateful to the many sponsors and donors that provided materials and labor for the build. For Alyssa, it was an amazing experience for her to work side by side with the seemingly endless stream of volunteers that donated their time and effort to help shape her future.  She smiles and her eyes light up when she is talking about the friendships she developed along the way. 

Alyssa wanted to remember all of those that worked on the project so she asked each member of the build team to put up a selfie on Instagram so she could put together a “selfie guestbook”.  She wishes she would have gotten the word out sooner and been able to have had all of the volunteers to participate because she considers them to have become part of a huge milestone in her life and would like to look back at the many wonderful people who made this home possible.

She gets very animated telling how she loves working at the ReStore in West Bend, (where she fulfilled the community service component of the program).  “It has become one of my favorite places”. 

She plans to continue to stop in to lend a hand or just visit the people working on the Habitat build next door, but now that she has satisfied her sweat equity commitment, her first priority is to get Analiesia acclimated to the home, and soon, her new school.  

When asked to put into words how much her new home means to Alyssa, she said “it is a huge blessing”.   For Analiesia, the best part is “having my own room”.   Although Alyssa didn’t say it, I am guessing she probably feels the same way.

Alyssa has planned, as a reward to Analiesia for her patience, understanding, support and love through the process of building their home, and tolerating the less than ideal hours of going to school and working, to take a trip to Disney World. Having the stable footing of their affordable home from Habitat for Humanity, Alyssa will be able to save up and fulfill her promise to her daughter. While most stories would end at this point with “and they lived happily ever after”, for Alyssa, Analiesia and their new home, the story is just beginning.

Join us for the next Habitat Home Dedication and Open House

Help us welcome a family into a community! Come celebrate with us for our home dedication. We are pleased to be able to welcome Stacy Ewert into our completed Habitat home on January 24, 2015 from 9 AM - 12 PM at 254 Walnut St. Beaver Dam, WI.. 

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Habitat for Humanity of Washington and Dodge Counties dedicates 29th home

The 29^th home built by Habitat for Humanity in Washington and Dodge Counties was dedicated last Saturday.   One half of an energy efficient ranch style two family home, the house was made possible by the efforts of dozens of volunteers and the generous support of numerous partners and sponsors that provided labor, materials, appliances and financial support for the project.  The other half is nearing completion, its dedication to follow in the upcoming months. 

Flanked by friends, relatives, volunteers and Habitat staff, Alyssa and Analiesa Thimmesch took possession of their new residence in Jackson, WI during a brief ceremony held in the home’s basement.  At the conclusion of the ceremony, Alyssa was presented a series of symbolic gifts, among them:

• A bible that represents God’s spirit at work.
• Hand-made quilts representing the warmth of the community, which supported the project and to which Alyssa was welcomed.
• A door knocker to remind her to welcome others.
• Home care products as a reminder of the integral component of personal responsibility in this process from generating the initial down payment, development of financial and home maintenance skills, participation in the actual construction process and ongoing care and upkeep of the home, to the commitment to repayment of the home’s financing and the obligation to pay it forward through volunteering and partnering with Habitat on other home projects.
• The keys to the home, a symbol of hope for a better future for her and her daughter.

Russ Wanta, Executive Director for the Habitat for Humanity of Washington and Dodge County affiliate, expressed gratitude for the gracious donors and selfless volunteers that generously donated their time, talents and resources to make this home a reality.  

En behalf of everyone involved in this project, I would like to say, “welcome home Alyssa and Analiesa.”

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