Machesney Park Habitat house to be dedicated Sunday

By Bob Balgemann

Reporter

MACHESNEY PARK – Labor Day is right around the corner and so is dedication of the new Habitat for Humanity house under construction at 57 Wilshire Blvd.

The three bedroom, one-bath residence for Chazney Dandridge will be dedicated at 1:30 p.m. Sunday (Aug. 30). Occupancy is expected to be shortly after Labor Day.

This is the second house among the 106 built by the Rockford chapter of Habitat for Humanity to be located in Machesney Park.

The 27-year-old organization’s executive director, Keri Nelson, hopes this will lead to a more extensive relationship with the village.

She already is working with Village Administrator Tim Savage and Village Clerk Lori Mitchell on finding a lot for a third Machesney Park home, to be built in 2016.

Another application seminar is going to be held soon, during which the program will be explained and applications will be handed out to interested families.

Some 35 already have applied for next year and, currently, their backgrounds are being studied by Habitat officials. Financial stability is important because the homeowner will be paying off a mortgage through the local Habitat branch.

A home visit will be scheduled for those who qualify. Also at that time it will be determined who has the most need.

The local Habitat board will decide in October who has been accepted for the 2016 program. “We hope for 12 on the list,” Nelson said, though only four or five houses actually will be built next year.

As the organization plans its 28th year she said it is looking for skilled, volunteer construction workers to lead the projects in the Rockford area.

Recipient on the job

One of this year’s four recipients, Chazney Dandridge, was at her new home Saturday (Aug. 15) with her grandmother, Sharon Dandridge, helping volunteer workers put the finishing touches on the house.

She said she has been getting plenty of help from “pretty much my whole family” as she supplies the required 300 hours of sweat equity for the program described as “a hand up, not a hand out.”

Others assisting her were her mother, Monica Dandridge, grandfather, Cornell Dandridge and sister, Traylin Dandridge.

“The time has gone by fast,” Chazney said. “It will be great to get in here.”

Others on the job Saturday were Marv Riggins and Roger Eggert, who have worked on 10-12 Habitat projects over the years.

“I appreciate Marv and Roger,” Chazney Dandridge, a 24-year-old single mom, said. “They have been great (project) leaders.”

Field Fastener in Machesney Park is this year’s primary, financial sponsor for the Wilshire Boulevard house. The company offered its 70-plus employees, known as team members, up to a week of paid time off to help build the residence.

Tim Firm, director of human resources, said so far 56 had worked there at least one day. Combined, they put in 1,144 hours of labor.

During the ground breaking earlier this year Machesney Park Mayor Jerry Bolin commended Field for being an active partner in the project. In addition, he said Field also worked with the village on its successful toy drive during Christmas of 2014.

The Habitat for Humanity house at 57 Wilshire Blvd. in Machesney Park is taking shape. It will be dedicated at 1:30 p.m. Sunday (Aug. 30).