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.