ABOVE: Executive Director for Habitat for Humanity Danville Ryan Campbell, U.S. Army Veteran Mark Whaling, Danville’s Mayor Rickey Williams, Jr; and Project Manager Robert Swider break ground for Whaling’s new home at 1416 Sherman in Danville
For over ten years Habitat for Humanity in Danville has not been able to build a complete home from scratch. They’ve continued to fix up homes so they could be lived in, but a lot at 1416 Sherman had been on their radar, as retired Habitat for Humanity Construction Manager Mike Cundiff explains.
AUDIO: We’ve had this lot for quite a while. It was donated to us, and given to us, to build for a Veteran. So we’ve been looking for several years to find a Veteran that qualified, and can fit in this house.
That Veteran turned out to be Mark Whaling, who served in the U.S. Army from 1989 to 1992; much of it overseas, and some of it with the Military Police. Whaling was very humbled at being selected; saying he simply applied for the program, on the advice of his brother, because paying higher and higher rents every year is rough on a fixed income.
AUDIO: I’m just a regular guy that did what he was supposed to do, and did what he thought was right.
(1st Picture) U.S. Army Veteran Mark Whaling (right) shares a moment of reflection prior to the groundbreaking for his new home. (2nd Picture) Rhonda Ellis presents a check from the recent American Legion Golf Tournament to Habitat for Humanity Danville Executive Director Ryan Campbell.
For current Habitat for Humanity Danville Executive Director Ryan Campbell, Wednesday’s ground breaking was a special day.
AUDIO: And just the support that we’ve gotten from the whole community, as you can see today; the amount of people that have come together, it’s a little overwhelming.
Project Manager Robert Swider is hoping for a fairly light winter, because he wants this done by the first quarter of next year.
AUDIO: Somewhere early spring we should be pretty well wrapped up with things. If the weather holds out and everything goes good, we should be early in March.
The big crowd in attendance included State Senator Paul Faraci, State Rep and USMC Veteran Brandun Schweizer, and Vermilion Advantage CEO Mike Marron.
Danville’s Mayor Rickey Williams, Jr stated that when you combine this Habitat for Humanity home with the cooperative effort bringing four new homes to the Oak and Seminary area; it’s the first in quite a while that five new homes are being built in Danville at one time.
