Archive: Around Town

It was cold and snowy, but the atmosphere was warm with volunteers and well-wishers who came to Habitat For Humanity of TOmpkins and Cortland County's ground breaking in Lansing last Saturday.  Construction on the new house begins this month, with a projected completion later this summer.  Don Gagnon and his three daughters will move into the house when it is completed, and will participate in getting it built over this year.

"I love the neighborhood," Gagnon says.  "My daughter's got two or three good friends that live right up the block here, so it's an ideal situation.  We needed to find something that was close to my brother, because he comes to help move my daughter four or five times a day."

The Gagnons have been renting in Lansing since they moved here four and a half years ago.  Gagnon was an International Operations Manager for Kennedy Airport for 20 years.  He controlled and coordinated cargo for up to 40 offices, pricing, movement, international traffic.  He decided to give that up and move here as a single parent with the three girls, the oldest of whom is disabled and needs constant care.  He chose Lansing to be close to his brother to have support and help in caring for his daughters.

"The oldest daughter is severely handicapped," says Habitat for Humanity of Tompkins and Cortland Counties Executive Director Shannon MacCarrick.  "The unique thing about this house is that we're accommodating her needs in the construction process.  One storey, a handicap ramp, a wider turning radius in the bathroom and the hallway, wider doorways.  A lot of things are sized differently to make it easier for him to care for her.


About two years ago the local Habitat chapter received a grant from Habitat International to hire an executive director to increase the amount of activity here.  In the first year the chapter would commit to build one house, then two houses last year and three in 2011.  The idea was that a full time employee could accomplish more to focus activities, raise funds and materials and attract volunteers.  In the first year a house was built on Breed Road in Lansing, and last year one house was completed in Dryden with a Cortland house nearing completion now.  This spring a house will be started on Clinton Avenue in Cortland, and once the Lansing house is completed a third house will be started on Barrow Street in Groton.

"They will probably overlap a little bit," MacCarrick says.  "We're going to try to get most of Sperry Lane done and then go out to Cortland.  We kind of have two volunteer pools.  Then we'll finish Sperry Lane before we start in Groton."

The grant runs out in about 18 months, but by that time MacCarrick says that local contributions should have been built up sufficient to sustain her position and three houses per year.  Before the Breed Road house there had been little activity in Tompkins County, and the grant is already responsible for four houses here in three years, plus the two in Cortland.  To make sure that happens she and volunteers are working on new ways to reach out to the community.

"All of our committees have had to step it up," she says.  "But we're definitely getting there, and I think we'll keep it up.  We get some great volunteers."

Part of that drive is to recruit skilled volunteers for all the sites who can supervise those who want to help but don't necessarily have a background in construction.  And part is to recruit more volunteers.  In January training began at Lowe's for the Women Build days, special days at which women volunteer to work on the house.  More than 60 people signed up for the first one.  Women learn about framing and roofing and siding and all the skills they will need to work on the Sperry Lane site.  They are also helping with fundraising.  MacCarrick says that outside the Women Build program men typically volunteer, as well as college, business, and church groups.


The Lansing property was donated to Habitat by Andy and Rosemary Sciarabba.  Architects donated their services to create an open layout, three bedroom ranch-style home.  A kitchen connects to an open dining area and living room.  Habitat officials say they have taken Gagnon to meet their new neighbors, and report the neighbors are supportive of the project.  Gagnon and his two younger daughters plan to help work on the house as it goes up.  He has plumbing, electrical, and mechanical skills that will help in the construction.  MacCarrick says recipients don't typically have building skills, and that will make this project particularly meaningful.

About two weeks ago Gagnon joined volunteers to cut down trees on the property, and a ground breaking ceremony was held last Saturday.  Excavation is starting around now.

MacCarrick hopes to have volunteers on site starting around February 19th to prepare the foundation and basement.

"I'm looking forward to the opportunity to keep my daughter out of being institutionalized.  My plan is, once I get in the house, to put in a ceiling track lifting system so I can manage moving her from room to room.  Right now everything is done manually, and it's getting very difficult.  This offers me the opportunity to keep her with the family.  That is my main objective."

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