A number of church groups donned hard hats and work boots on Saturday as part of their continued support of Habitat for Humanity (Habitat) projects in the state.

In Redmond, church volunteers are helping to build homes at Patterson Park, as part of C2Build – Coalition to Build – a coalition of eastside churches.

Habitat is an international organization which provides housing for low income families.

Faith United Methodist, Sammamish Presbyterian, Pine Lake Covenant, St John’s Episcopal and Timberlake Church have for a number of years provided not only financial support to Habitat but also a regular and willing labor force, which has contributed to the construction of 72 homes Bellevue, Carnation, Issaquah, Kirkland, Newcastle, Redmond, Sammamish, and Snoqualmie.

Habitat Construction Supervisor Mike Hammerquist said that the assistance of church groups, and other community volunteers, was increasingly important to Habitat’s work.

“With the economy like it is, with corporate sponsorship falling, we rely heavily on churches, financially and with labor,” he said. “Here at Patterson Park, two complete units were sponsored by church coalitions.”

“Between 80 and 90 percent of the labor is provided by volunteers.”

Ray Rowe and his daughter Melissa, of Faith United Methodist, said they had worked on a number of Habitat projects, including one nearing completion in Snoqualmie.

“What we really enjoy is just the giving,” Ray Rowe said. “The handover ceremony, when the house is completed and given to the new owners, is really an amazing experience.”

“And the homeowners themselves are involved in helping to build the home, which is great.”

Like the Rowe’s, Cathy McGinn, of Sammamish Presbyterian, has been helping out at Habitat sites one day a month.

She says that her church typically sends a group of people to help on the third Saturday of each month.

“The reward is the gratitude of being able to do something worthwhile, to be able to help people get into a nice home,” she said.

Bear Creek Methodist, Holy Cross Episcopal, St Jude Parish, Woodinville Alliance and Woodinville Community Methodist Church have also contributed labor and financial support to the Redmond project.

Habitat’s Mary Martin said that most of these churches will continue their financial and volunteer support when the homes in Redmond are completed and the new project begins in the Issaquah Highlands.

“The cost of a home is around $100,000 and church contributions range from $5,000 to $25,000 a year,” she said. “This support is extremely valuable to Habitat for Humanity, which was founded on the contributions of the faith community, and in this current economic climate is even more important.”

“The future homeowners have been welcomed as guests into these churches and are surrounded with love and support as they work to reach their goal of homeownership.”

The families invest 500 hours of sweat equity in building and attending Habitat’s mandatory financial literacy classes before they can purchase their home.

“It is because of this community support and our homeowner education classes that Habitat homeowners are so successful,” Mary said. “Habitat for Humanity is a faith based, volunteer driven organization and we are extremely blessed to receive gifts and resources from our community churches.”

The site at Patterson Park was purchased by the City of Redmond through the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, which was created in 1987 and remains the only major federal legislative response to homelessness.

This project, when fully completed, will feature market rate condominiums built by a private contractor, Habitat homes for low-income homeownership, and transitional and emergency housing providing by another local community service organization.

These townhomes have been built by volunteers with materials purchased through the sponsorships of local faith groups, businesses, civic organizations and individuals.

Want to get involved?

For more information on Habitat for Humanity in East King County, visit www.habitatekc.org