| Volunteers work on cleaning up the lot where the next Habitat House will be built |
July 19 was a busy day for Habitat for Humanity of Castle Country, the Carbon and Emery County affiliate.
The day started out with board members, John Sehestedt and Joanna Clawson, and volunteer, Lisa Brinkerhoff showing up at the site of the next Habitat house which will be one of two in Valley View Subdivision in Castle Dale.
John had prepared a plan for a three-four hour work day for the Grandview 18th Ward of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints from Provo who wanted to participate in a service project that would make a lasting difference.
When the group learned of a Habitat home beginning construction in Castle Dale, they were anxious to be involved with this great new project. Approximately 35 youth and leaders showed up ready to work with shovels, rakes, gloves, and muscles. John had the wheel barrows and a trailer for hauling off the weeds, debris, garbage buried by kids playing on the empty lot, and the neighbors lawn clippings. The youth group was busy moving rocks, digging up old posts, digging and raking weeds and debris into piles for the wheelbarrow crew.
The rock piles were of four sizes: golf balls and smaller, tennis ball or so size, football size, and basketball size and larger. By the end of the workday there were four hefty piles of rock to be used or removed later, and one huge boulder that the new homeowner can use for landscaping. It took three youth and two leaders to move it about 25 feet after digging by many and prying out of the place where the hole for the foundation will be. They helped measure off the outside house dimensions with tape, string and spray paint.
Besides removing rocks, they shoveled, raked and leveled. They dug the outside perimeter by hand and put stakes in for future workday jobs.
“The work was hot and tiring, but is truly rewarding,” stated leader Pamela Henrie.
Lunch and drinks were furnished by Habitat afterwhich the group put in another shift before spending the rest of a fun day at Millsite where they planned to canoe, swim, and just spend the balance of a sunny summer day resting and relaxing.
Those who participated were: Bishop Kerry Graves; Leaders: Pamela and Roland Henrie, Jeff and Lorraine Adams, Dave Barton, and Glori Smith; and youth: Joseph Myrer, David Franklin, Scott Knudsen, Spencer Graves, Ronda Graves, Mollory Bouvelierd, Michelle Graves, Matt Gardner, Chase Gardner, Katie Doty, Dominique Ruybal, Kylie Peterson, Sarah Myrer, Rachel Lakery, Waylon Pickett, Coral Woodward, Angela Packard, Katie Hutchings, E T Hunt, Patricia Junlay, Roland Henrie, Neil Twiley, Marshall Burt, Jordan Snarr, Adam Henrie, Kody Threifall, and Dallin Wilson.