Beginning next month, approximately 60 members and friends of Sugar Land’s Christ United Methodist Church will give up 10 consecutive Saturdays with
their families to help make life better for another Fort Bend family, strangers
to most of the volunteers.
This won’t be the first time, either. On Sept. 12, the group will begin construction on
their 10th home in partnership with Fort Bend Habitat for Humanity. A project
of the church
’s mission program—HOME (Helping Others, the Methodist Experience)—the house raising starts with a celebration at the site on the first day of
construction.
Volunteers who return year after year to work on the Habitat project don’t believe they are sacrificing anything. “The work blesses in so many ways,” said Valerie Dull, co-chairman with her husband Dennis, of the CUMC Habitat for
Humanity Committee. The Dulls have served as co-chairs of the Habitat committee
since its inception 10 years ago.
Habitat Sunday
On Aug. 30, the church’s 4,000 members will be given an opportunity to participate in the project as
the church observes Habitat Sunday. Being part of the experience can take many
different paths. Volunteer workers are needed throughout the 10-week project,
as well as meals for the volunteers and monetary donations to pay for the
project itself.
“Even if you’ve never driven a nail or wielded a paintbrush, you can still help,” said Dull. “No experience necessary, and no volunteer will be turned away. Just showing up
to be a gofer is a big help.
”
200 Volunteers Needed
“It takes approximately 200 people to build a home, and the sponsor must raise or
fund the $60,000 cost of the home,
” said Renee Teel, chairman of the church’s mission committee. CUMC usually joins with other churches to reach the
necessary amount of volunteers and funds. Churches that have partnered with
CUMC in the past include: Holy Cross Episcopal, St. John
’s UMC-Richmond, Harvest UMC and First Baptist Church-Richmond. Other manpower
hours are provided by students from the various high schools and family and
friends of the recipient family. The workday starts at 8 a.m. with prayer and a
safety meeting. Volunteers begin closing up shop by 3 p.m. because everything
must be stored and locked until the following Saturday.
The Process
Habitat for Humanity purchases the land. Usually, more than one house is built
at the same time in the same location, so that workers can share tools and
expertise as needed. Each house is sponsored in partnership with a business,
church or school. Qualifying families are selected by Habitat
’s Family Selection Committee based on specific criteria. The recipient family is
required to work at least 300 hours to earn
“Sweat Equity” in their home, which is then paid for over 20-30 years with a zero percent
mortgage from Habitat for Humanity.
The houses are energy-efficient. Everything is new, including appliances. Some
in-kind donations such as paint, concrete, landscaping and professional
services are accepted, but all products must meet uniform Habitat standards, so
monetary donations are preferred.
The finished product is a beautiful new home for someone who may have been
living in substandard housing or even have been homeless.
The smiles on the new homeowners’ faces make those 10 tiring Saturdays all worthwhile. Christ United Methodist
Church Sugar Land will be out there again next year doing it all over again.
Some monetary gifts come in all year through designated giving at the church.
Those who wish to donate directly to Fort Bend Habitat for Humanity, may
designate their check for the CUMC project. For more information:
www.cumcsl.org or www.fortbendhfh.org.
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