Come and lend a hand to this wonderful project!

The Madeleine parish will officially kick off their fundraising for the Monterrosa house the weekend of December 19-20 with a special second collection.  Pledge cards are available now for making a donation to this Catholic build.  A suggested donation is $100 per square foot.  Mirian Monterrosa and her family will be introduced to The Madeleine community on December 20, during the 9:15 a.m.Mass.  In addition, the parish is selling beautiful porcelain Christmas ornaments and Chinook Books at our December 10 Christmas tree lighting event.  The entire parish is also participating in the Habitat banks and Advent Calendar.

Mirian Monterrosa with her children

Parishioners and their friends are welcome to visit the construction site any Tuesday, Wednesday, or Saturday when volunteers are working.  No advance notice is required, but you are requested to respect the safety regulations on the site.  Visitors must park at the Samil Korean Presbyterian Church parking lot located at 16100 SW Farmington Road across from the construction site.

Finally, thank you to all of the dedicated volunteers who continue to lend their time and expertise to the build.  Each and every contribution is important, and I hope you have enjoyed your time on the construction site.  I understand at times there is some unexpected standing around, and we are working on having enough supervisors on site to direct volunteers and keep them busy.  I ask for your patience, and please do not be afraid to ask the supervisors for work.  The people who serve as supervisors are also volunteers and are dedicated to making your experience on the construction site both safe and positive.  If you have specific concerns or suggestions, please feel free to pass them along to me.

Once the blitz build completes on December 19, we will be working with the Willamette West Habitat for Humanity staff about additional volunteer opportunities.  Initially, we were told that we would be assigned approximately one day per month as part of our sponsorship.  More opportunities may be available, however, since this is not a time for drawing a high volume of volunteer workers. We will continue to request volunteer days as long as we have the interest to field sufficient volunteers.

There are still openings for the additional days of December 15 and 16.  If you have a flexible schedule and can work on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, Habitat can use a few volunteers to fill the gap and keep all of the homes at Vance Place on schedule.  Let me know if you can help and whether you would prefer the morning or afternoon shift.

This past week, we completed and raised the fourth wall of the first floor, built the inside walls, and installed floor joists to support the second floor.  Despite the bitter cold weather, spirited volunteers accomplished a great deal and kept us on schedule.  Work on Friday, December 11, will be building the deck of the second floor and constructing the second story external walls.  Saturday crews will continue where the Friday crews leave off, and construct inside walls.  Friday, December 18, will be devoted to completing all of the necessary work so roof trusses can be installed on Saturday, December 19.  The pace of work on December 11, 12, and 18, will be brisk.  We are pushing this schedule so the framing will be complete, roof on, and house enclosed for the winter weather.

Terry Crawford, the building site leader, embraces Mirian and Daisy.

The Vance Place, named after actual Al Vance – the site leader, has witnessed three walls being assembled and raised in one single shift.

Al Vance leading the building process.

SW Vance Ln, named after Al, where H4H house will become Monterroso family’s home.

Our – the Madeleine’s – Jose Pinomesa talked with Mirian about the joys and concerns of first-time home owners.

Jose talks with Mirian and her daughter Daisy.

More updates are coming …

Mother Mirian, son Danny (19), daughter Daisy (18), daughter Mirian (16), daughter Talya (13).  Currently living in a 2-bedroom apartment.

“When you first meet Mirian, you might be tempted to categorize her as small and just a bit timid. However, if you learn a little bit about her story, you realize that she is a strong woman, determined and quite capable of working for a better life. She’s been doing that since she was a young woman.

Twenty years ago, Mirian took charge of her fate and courageously left her native Guatemala due to strife within her family. She joined her brothers in California, determined to have a happier, more stable life. There she met and married her husband. Together they started a family that grew to four children—Danny, Daisy, Mirian and Talya.

Nine years ago, Mirian’s marriage failed, but not her resolve to have a happy, stable life. Again, she courageously took charge and found work in Oregon. She packed up her children and found a 2 bedroom apartment for them to live in.

Mirian’s attitude is bright and sweet, but her life is not easy. She works nights cleaning an attorney’s office to support her family. When she does get to rest, she sleeps on the floor of their small apartment. But somehow, even with this busy schedule, Mirian is still looking forward and taking charge of her life. She found the Habitat for Humanity program and has worked very hard to qualify for a home.

She’s teaching her children the value of hard work too. Her older children contribute toward the sweat equity hours they need to qualify for a house. They have a good model to follow.

If you ask Mirian if she’s excited about qualifying for a home, her face lights up and she speaks rapidly. Yes—she’s excited! She wants that home for her children. She’s still looking for, and working for, that stable life she envisioned as a young girl.”

Please remember to visit the Project’s display at the Madeleine vestibule and contact Mark Miller at mgmiller@nwpump.com about your contributions. You can also reach him at 503-719-6396.

For the complete multimedia experience, visit this visual diary.

More updates are coming.