Thirty-five Soldiers of Rock Island Arsenal's Army Sustainment Command volunteered to work all day Oct. 17 at the Habitat for Humanity's 61st house in the Quad Cities area.
Sergeant Maj. Joseph Kalsic, ASC chaplain noncommissioned officer-in-charge, organized the Saturday event. Kalsic originally requested 15 to 18 volunteers and when more than 55 Soldiers volunteered to help, Kalsic soon found he had to turn the well-wishers away finally settling on 35.
According to Kalsic, the contractors were very impressed with the work put in by the Soldiers.
"Our efforts put a dent in the work remaining to make this house a home," said Kalsic.
The Soldiers provided assistance with hanging drywall in the second floor, shingling the roof of the tool shed in the backyard, constructing stairs and railings for the back porch, and cleaning up and recycling of the scrap wood by chipping it into mulch for use around the outside of the house.
The event for the Soldiers was themed around the Year of the Noncommissioned Officer, a Department of the Army initiative designed to highlight and recognize the contributions of the NCO Corps to the Army.
Maria and Roberto Medrano, the future residents of the home, approached the Quad City Habitat for Humanity office in December of 2008 asking for assistance. The QC Habitat for Humanity okayed their request and construction began in May 2009.
An empty lot on East 15th Street in Davenport, Iowa was selected, and six months later, the beginnings of a two-story house stand on what the QC Habitat for Humanity project leaders call House 61.
House 61 is unique in that it is the first "green build" for the Quad City-based organization. From the sprayed foam insulation, the tank less water heater, to an air-conditioning unit that runs at 93 percent efficiency and recycled scrap wood used as mulch, the house is as earth-friendly as it can be.
Social Sharing