Monday, May 14

Our prayers for good weather have been answered! It’s a glorious morning in the Harambee neighborhood. By 6:00 a.m. 6th street is already buzzing with activity. In the space of one city block, four homes are going up. All of them are starting today, but only one, the home Carmel Builders is building, will be completely finished by the end of the week. Two huge trucks, one with a flatbed and the other with a crane, maneuver into place, preparing to begin. By 10 a.m. the framing of the first floor is nearly complete and the ramp on the rear of the home is well underway. Curious neighbors venture out to see what all the commotion is about!

The noon hour ushers in a break in the intense pace. Lunch is served, though no work stops at the blitz home; the crew eats lunch in shifts. With more that 40 workers that’s quite a few shifts! Thrivent Financial and Habitat have organized an opening rally – with the arrival of Milwaukee dignitaries, the Klements Sausage Guys and Bernie Brewer the air is filled with a feeling of festivity. Plenty of photo ops here as a wall for another Habitat home is raised by a large group representing the myriad organizations that have helped make this build possible.

By 12:30 the Blitz home’s 2nd floor framing is nearly finished. Rough electric and plumbing has begun. No rain gives us confidence that we will reach our goal for day one of the blitz; frame, side and roof the home we are building; safely protecting it from the elements. How inspiring it is to see what happens when people pull together for a common good!

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