Mattoon Journal-Gazette/Charleston Times-Courier

published April 7, 2008. Reprinted with permission

By HERB MEEKER, Staff Writer, Journal-Gazettte/Times Courier

CHARLESTON —After digging up a little dirt, Steve Irby couldn’t wait to grab a tool for helping build his family’s new Habitat for Humanity home. “We’re really grateful for this. It’s a great opportunity,” said Irby, flanked by his 16-year-old son, Tolin, and accompanied by his 18-year-old daughter, Saibra, after the groundbreaking ceremony Sunday afternoon at E and Locust streets. “We’re ready to go.”

Blitz Day for the Irby home is just a couple of weeks away, depending on the weather this month. It is one of three homes scheduled for Habitat this year in Coles County. The weather was nearly perfect for the groundbreaking Sunday that brought out Coles County Habitat for Humanity volunteers, supporters and friends of the Irby family.

The groundbreaking also set a milestone for the local Habitat effort. The Irby house will be the 20th Habitat home built in Coles County since the project started here in 1989.

Coles Habitat President Richard Wandling said at the current pace of three home projects per year, the 30th home will be built sometime in 2011.

“This is our second year of operating at this level,” Wandling said. “We certainly have the cooperation to build three homes per year in Coles County. When we started Habitat for Humanity here we did not in our wildest imagination expect we’d have multiple homes being built per year.”

Habitat for Humanity brings together the talents and energy of many individuals, like building site supervisor Butch Thompson, and various organizations to help families build a new home. Many of the partner families could not realize the dream of home ownership without this cooperative effort that emphasizes spiritual unity — prayers blessing and Biblical scripture readings are part of many Habitat ceremonies to mold fellowship of the volunteers.

“This is a vivid example of the spirit of God at work and the collective spirit as well,” Wandling said.

There is a family element to Habitat events. The partner family realizes right away they will not be alone during the construction phase from Blitz Day when the walls and roof go up and the many details for completing the house.

Habitat for Humanity will hold a volunteer picnic from 1 to 3 p.m. April 20 at Newman Catholic Center south of Eastern Illinois University. Past, current and future volunteers are encouraged to attend the picnic.

Irby said his relatives will be helping out through the project. After years of apartment living, he is ready to get back into a home he can call his own.

And when the holidays come around later this year, he hopes to host a holiday dinner.

“Yes, we’ll have dinner at our house. They’re all welcomed,” he said with pride.

Contact Herb Meeker at hmeeker@jg-tc.com or 238-6869.