News

Home for holidays in Menasha

By Joanne Flemming
Compass Correspondent

When Christine Perkins and her family open their Christmas present on Tuesday, Dec. 20, it will be the front door of their new home on Menasha's Sheboygan Street built by 11 Fox Valley parishes for the first Fox Valley Habitat for Humanity Catholic Build.

"This is the best (present) I ever had," said Bryan Perkins, 18, who worked on the construction. "It was nice to see something I made being built."

Jodi Isom, Habitat volunteer coordinator, said the 1,100 square-foot, four bedroom house will be completed Saturday. Perkins said she and her four children will trim a Christmas tree in the living room on Sunday.

The dedication will take place at 5 p.m. Tuesday. Closing on the property will take place on Wednesday or Thursday, Isom said. The family plans to sleep there Christmas Eve, Perkins said.

Priests and representatives from the 11 parishes have been invited to the dedication, along with the Perkins and Habitat board members.

The parish representatives will read a litany of dedication, Isom said. The Perkins will be given a family bible and their house keys. After Perkins cuts the ribbon across the entrance, the house will be open for tours and refreshments. It will be furnished later, Isom said.

Construction began in mid-September. The 11 parishes - Holy Cross, Kaukauna; Sacred Heart, St. Bernard and St. Pius, all of Appleton; St. Edward, Mackville; St. Francis, Hollandtown, St. Gabriel, Neenah; St. Mary, Black Creek; St. Mary, Menasha; St. Paul, Combined Locks, and Ss. Peter & Paul, Hortonville - each raised funds and supplied volunteers for two days of work. Perkins, a member of St. Mary Parish, Menasha, and her family contributed 300 hours of "sweat equity" to the project.

The other Perkins children are Alyssa, 16; Alexander, 14 and Daniel Jr., 9. Perkins is a nursing assistant at Oakridge Gardens Nursing Home, Menasha.

"It's wonderful. I'm very excited," she said. Among her family's contributions to the house were laying sub-flooring, putting in windows, "drywalling for three days straight and priming and painting the whole house."

Bill Devine, Neenah, Habitat board member and St. Bernard parishioner, first suggested organizing a Catholic Build in 2004. He rated the Menasha project a "terrific success."

Isom said 100 to 150 volunteers helped. "The quality of the volunteers has been above and beyond," she said. Construction supervisors reported that "we have so many potential new crew leaders from this group, lots of really experienced home construction volunteers," she said

The parishes have raised about $25,000 toward the $75,000 home, Isom said. There were about $30,000 in pledges, she said. Fundraising may continue after the dedication.

Devine said he would like to see another Catholic Build. "I'm very excited about the future." The Perkins, he said, are a "terrific family, very enthusiastic."

As for Perkins, she said: "I have met many, many wonderful people that have really been a blessing to me."