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From foundation to roof — App Builds a Home takes shape during blitz build
“We’re getting to know the family, working side by side with them. Their kids are going to grow up in this home. It’s really great knowing we’re contributing to that.”
Mackenzie Millett, a first-year exercise science major from Amelia Island, Florida
By Jan Todd
Posted Sep. 26, 2019 at 3:02 p.m.
This article is part of a series about the App Builds a Home project, which began with fundraising in fall 2018 and will continue through the building of the home this fall. Appalachian is partnering with Watauga County Habitat for Humanity to build a home from the ground up.
BOONE, N.C. — A chorus of hammers was set in motion over the past weekend, when more than 200 volunteers gathered at the App Builds a Home (ABAH) job site in Boone’s GreenWood subdivision to begin constructing a home in partnership with Watauga County Habitat for Humanity.
Since last fall, Appalachian State University’s ABAH team has been raising money and volunteer support for the project, which began to take physical shape during a “blitz build” on Sept. 21 and 22. Student, staff, faculty and alumni volunteers from Appalachian worked alongside the Habitat for Humanity Road Trip Crazies — a team of 50 Habitat enthusiasts who travel the country to kick-start home builds.
The Crazies, led by Tom Gerdy, of Lynchburg, Virginia, arrived in Boone Thursday, Sept. 19, coming from all over the East Coast. They spent Friday organizing and labeling construction materials, as well as planning the weekend’s workflow. Gerdy has led the group for 20 years, executing three to four blitz builds per year, he said.
The build began Saturday morning and ended Sunday evening. With the equivalent of 1,636 volunteer hours, the workers framed the house, put up exterior walls and siding, installed windows and doors, and built the front and side porches.
“I particularly like working with young people,” Gerdy said about his experience with the Appalachian students. “It is so rewarding to see their eyes light up, when they understand what it’s like to give others a hand up. When the volunteers walk away at the end of the workday, they can look back at all that was accomplished — and feel like heroes.”
Time-lapse progress of App Builds a Home
This time-lapse video shows the progress made by the 200-plus volunteers who took part in the ABAH blitz build weekend. The projected completion date for the Habitat home, located in Boone’s GreenWood subdivision, is spring of 2020.
Mountaineer volunteers
Meet the partner family
Working alongside the volunteers during the blitz build weekend was the Barker family — David Barker and his wife, Amy Barker, and their children, Nathan Barker and Kali Barker — who will receive the keys to the home at the end of the build. Habitat’s partner families invest “sweat equity” and make interest-free mortgage payments after moving in.
“David was the first one up on the roof, ready to do whatever was needed,” said Misty Mayfield, Appalachian faculty leader for ABAH. “He worked tirelessly all weekend.”
Meanwhile, Nathan and Kali Barker built a miniature house with scrap lumber and spent Sunday afternoon making thank-you cards for all the volunteers.
“I’m blown away and still feel like I’m in a dream,” Amy Barker said. “It has been like watching ants build a home, where everyone is rushing around working, but no one is in anyone else’s way. To know the Appalachian students are coming out here to dedicate their time to help us — it is amazing.”
Appalachian students volunteered for the ABAH project for a variety of reasons. Some were first-year students looking for ways to get involved and meet other students. Some were part of campus organizations with community service and outreach goals to achieve. Others were invited to participate by friends or just wanted to help.
Campbell Stone ’19, a graduate student from Raleigh with a B.S. in sustainable technology from Appalachian, was one of 10 members of the Mountaineers men’s tennis team volunteering on Sunday.
“This is the first Habitat build for most of us,” Stone shared. “It’s pretty insane to see a house built in just a couple of days. Everyone is just hopping in, finding a niche. I wasn’t too sure about it before I came out here, but everyone is having a good time and I’ll definitely do this again.”
Alexa Dunn, a sophomore from Asheboro majoring in criminal justice with a concentration in international studies, said she returned on Sunday after volunteering Saturday — even though she hadn’t signed up to work the second day.
“I never worked on a house before and thought it would be a good skill to learn,” she said. “This has been an eye-opening experience.”
“We’re getting to know the family, working side by side with them. Their kids are going to grow up in this home. It’s really great knowing we’re contributing to that.”
Mackenzie Millett, a first-year exercise science major from Amelia Island, Florida
Gerdy’s welcome speech inspired students, including Mackenzie Millett, a first-year exercise science major from Amelia Island, Florida. “When he said we’re changing the world one step at a time, I loved that,” Millett said. “Here we are, all together, trying to help one family.”
“We’re getting to know the family, working side by side with them,” Millett continued. “Their kids are going to grow up in this home. It’s really great knowing we’re contributing to that. Tom Gerdy said our hands are doing what our hearts are saying — we’re turning what we feel into actual work and action.”
Set a fundraising goal as an individual, office, club, or organization or make a one-time donation or a monthly donation directly to App Builds a Home.
Another workday for the ABAH project took place during Appalachian’s Family Weekend Sept. 28–29. Smaller groups of volunteers will continue to work almost every weekend until the home is completed.
“Our goal for the blitz weekend was to have the house dried-in, and we were able to accomplish that,” said Alex Hooker, executive director for Watauga Habitat and adjunct instructor in the university’s Appalachian studies program. “With the house waterproofed, we’re in good shape for the colder weather, when most of the work will be inside. If we have a steady group of volunteers, we will hopefully have the Barker family in their new home by Christmas.”
Fundraising efforts continue, with a need of approximately $25,000 to meet Appalachian’s goal of $60,000 — half the cost of the home, which will be matched by Watauga Habitat. Contributions are needed to purchase materials to finish the interior of the home, install a driveway and complete landscaping.
Working alongside the volunteers during the blitz build weekend was the Barker family — David Barker and his wife, Amy Barker, and their children, Nathan Barker and Kali Barker — who will receive the keys to the home at the end of the build. Habitat’s partner families invest “sweat equity” and make interest-free mortgage payments after moving in.
“David was the first one up on the roof, ready to do whatever was needed,” said Misty Mayfield, Appalachian faculty leader for ABAH. “He worked tirelessly all weekend.”
Meanwhile, Nathan and Kali Barker built a miniature house with scrap lumber and spent Sunday afternoon making thank-you cards for all the volunteers.
“I’m blown away and still feel like I’m in a dream,” Amy Barker said. “It has been like watching ants build a home, where everyone is rushing around working, but no one is in anyone else’s way. To know the Appalachian students are coming out here to dedicate their time to help us — it is amazing.”
Set a fundraising goal as an individual, office, club, or organization or make a one-time donation or a monthly donation directly to App Builds a Home.
The Appalachian Community has organized in partnership with Watauga County Habitat for Humanity to design, fund and build a home from the ground up for a local family in need.
The IDEXlab’s design for an innovative, zero energy ready Habitat for Humanity home was recognized as a finalist in the U.S. Department of Energy’s 2019 Solar Decathlon Challenge.
Kayla McDougle, a junior interior design major, is getting a head start with real-life experience as she works on Habitat for Humanity design projects.
Alumna Tasse Little ’86 adds to her 20 years of service at Appalachian by being part of the App Builds a Home (ABAH) planning team. ABAH and Watauga County Habitat for Humanity have partnered to build a home for a Boone family.
As a premier public institution, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives. App State is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System, with a national reputation for innovative teaching and opening access to a high-quality, affordable education for all. The university enrolls more than 21,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and 80 graduate majors at its Boone and Hickory campuses and through App State Online. Learn more at https://www.appstate.edu.
“We’re getting to know the family, working side by side with them. Their kids are going to grow up in this home. It’s really great knowing we’re contributing to that.”
Mackenzie Millett, a first-year exercise science major from Amelia Island, Florida
Meet the partner family
Working alongside the volunteers during the blitz build weekend was the Barker family — David Barker and his wife, Amy Barker, and their children, Nathan Barker and Kali Barker — who will receive the keys to the home at the end of the build. Habitat’s partner families invest “sweat equity” and make interest-free mortgage payments after moving in.
“David was the first one up on the roof, ready to do whatever was needed,” said Misty Mayfield, Appalachian faculty leader for ABAH. “He worked tirelessly all weekend.”
Meanwhile, Nathan and Kali Barker built a miniature house with scrap lumber and spent Sunday afternoon making thank-you cards for all the volunteers.
“I’m blown away and still feel like I’m in a dream,” Amy Barker said. “It has been like watching ants build a home, where everyone is rushing around working, but no one is in anyone else’s way. To know the Appalachian students are coming out here to dedicate their time to help us — it is amazing.”
Set a fundraising goal as an individual, office, club, or organization or make a one-time donation or a monthly donation directly to App Builds a Home.
Appalachian Today is an online publication of Appalachian State University. This website consolidates university news, feature stories, events, photo galleries, videos and podcasts.
The migration of materials from other sites is still incomplete, so if you cannot find what you're looking for here, please refer to the following sources:
Appalachian Today is an online publication of Appalachian State University. This website consolidates university news, feature stories, events, photo galleries, videos and podcasts.
The migration of materials from other sites is still incomplete, so if you cannot find what you're looking for here, please refer to the following sources: