Anyone who drops into the Habitat for Humanity building site these days will likely see a team of volunteers, covered in dust or paint, chattering away as they work on the Humboldt project that began in July 2012.
You may also meet the site manager, Tim Prytula, who tries to make sure all the helping hands are busy doing something. Prytula's natural affinity with people and his love of the job has been an advantage to him in working with people who sometimes have little or no experience in the construction business.
It keeps him hopping, he admits, trying to coordinate when the professional trade workers can come in, with having enough work to keep the volunteers busy. He recently had a well-deserved week off while a local drywall company were prepping the walls for painting.
"I had a week off while they were doing the mudding, taping and sanding," he said. "That was Rural Drywall, they did a nice job. Right now the volunteers are busy painting the inside of the main floor of both sides of the duplex."
When asked if the project was on schedule, Prytula replied that some things were on schedule, while others were lagging behind, such as the duct-work in the basements, which still needs to be done.
"The plumbing is in, but the electric is still not finished," he commented. "But we have to keep moving forward, because on Friday (Nov. 16) they are going to deliver the laminate flooring."
The kitchen cabinetry will be here not long after, he added.
Recently, the Habitat for Humanity committee held a second volunteer blitz to try and get a few new names on their list of volunteers. Specifically, they were hoping to find people who were available mid-week, which is a time when they find themselves lacking in help.
"We didn't get much response from the volunteer blitz," said Connie Danyluik, the project's volunteer coordinator. "But we had a booth at the trade show, and we had quite a few sign up then."
Danyluik says there is always room for another volunteer, so anyone who still would like to sign up can do so.
"All the work is inside now, too, and it's doing things like putting on baseboards, and assembling cabinets," she said. "So some people might be more interested in helping out with that than with the heavier construction work like drywalling."
Prytula says they are still looking at a mid-January finish for the duplex.
