Habitat for Humanity has found an appropriate way to celebrate its 20th anniversary. Tomorrow the Quad Cities chapter will break ground for two homes in Moline, on 5th Avenue at 6th Street. Spokesman Dougal Nelson says Habitat plans to build five homes this year, and a 6th, if it can raise the money.
"It all comes down to funding. It costs us about $90,000 to build every home. And that's after in-kind donations and labor provided by our volunteers."
These two new homes will be numbers 82 and 83 since the Quad Cities chapter was founded in 1993. Nelson says Habitat tries to provide safe and adequate housing for low income families.
"If you can imagine a single parent household with two children, and she's earning perhaps minimum wage. It's tough to provide for your children when you're paying $800 per month rent - it doesn't leave much left over."
One of the two homes is sponsored by the John Deere Foundation and Wells Fargo bank. The other is sponsored by the Moline Foundation in celebration of its 60th anniversary. The groundbreaking is set for 10 am tomorrow. And during the ceremony, Habitat will be named as the first recipient of the Karen and Tom Getz Award for Excellence - an award made possible by a gift from the couple - the award is administed by the Moline Foundation.