Directions from Everett Turnpike Exit 7 (Amherst Street exit) to the mission:

1: Start out going SOUTHEAST on US-3/ NH-101A/ AMHERST ST toward US-3 S/ HENRI A BURQUE DR. Continue to follow NH-101A/ AMHERST ST. 1.6 mi to
2: Turn RIGHT onto MAIN ST/ DANIEL WEBSTER HWY. 0.2 mi to
3: Turn RIGHT onto WATER ST. 0.2 mi to
4: Turn SLIGHT RIGHT onto FACTORY ST. <0.1 mi to
5: Turn LEFT onto CHESTNUT ST. 0.2 mi to
6: End at 40 CHESTNUT ST (2nd building on LEFT). Parking on street, and behind building.

See as many of you as can make it, starting about 9:00 AM.

Completed since last Saturday:
40 Chestnut St., Nashua (SNHRM): Continued punch list items in preparation for certificate of occupancy – fire-sealed remaining pipe penetrations, installed closer on egress door, installed crash bars on double doors, continued 2nd coat of drywall mud, caulked and prepped interior for painting. 

Upcoming events:

Russell Street, Wilton: Groundbreaking Saturday August 7th. Excavation to start shortly. Still seeking donations / deals.
Other small projects being coordinated.

If you have any questions please call Building Committee Chairman Eric Moore at 603.620.4182.

This Saturday, we’ll return to the Southern NH Rescue Mission (40 Chestnut Street, Nashua) to work on remaining punch list items before SNHRM gets its certificate of occupancy. This is all indoor work. 

Directions from Everett Turnpike Exit 7 (Amherst Street exit) to the mission -

1: Start out going SOUTHEAST on US-3/ NH-101A/ AMHERST ST toward US-3 S/ HENRI A BURQUE DR. Continue to follow NH-101A/ AMHERST ST. 1.6 mi to
2: Turn RIGHT onto MAIN ST/ DANIEL WEBSTER HWY. 0.2 mi to
3: Turn RIGHT onto WATER ST. 0.2 mi to
4: Turn SLIGHT RIGHT onto FACTORY ST. <0.1 mi to
5: Turn LEFT onto CHESTNUT ST. 0.2 mi to
6: End at 40 CHESTNUT ST (2nd building on LEFT). Parking on street, and behind building.

See as many of you as can make it, starting about 9:00.

Completed since last Saturday:
40 Chestnut St., Nashua (SNHRM): Continued punch list items in preparation for certificate of occupancy – fire-seal caulked pipe penetrations, patched drywall holes, installed threshold / sweep on emergency exit door, fabricated and installed cover over shower sump pump, finished closet door installations, started 2nd coat of drywall mud as needed. 

Upcoming events:
Next build site: Still seeking donations / deals.
40 Chestnut Street, Nashua (SNHRM): Finish punch list for certificate of occupancy, plus finish work as needed.
Other small projects being coordinated.

If you have any questions, please call Building Committee Chairman Eric Moore at 603.620.4182.

Site for Habitat for Humanity Duplex in Milford May be Wetland

Habitat for Humanity lot on Tonella Road, Milford, New Hampshire. Photo Courtesy of Don Himsel and The Telegraph.

by Hattie Bernstein, The Telegraph

MILFORD – Six months ago, Bob Hughes envisioned celebrating his 32nd birthday on July 23 in his own home, with his wife, Stephanie, and their children, Brianna, 13, and Jordan, 10.  Instead, the family is on the verge of homelessness.

The Hugheses were one of two families selected by Greater Nashua Habitat for Humanity to become owners of a Milford duplex the volunteer group planned to build. The other family is currently renting an apartment in town.  The land for the duplex, to be built at 42-44 Tonella Road, was purchased a year ago.  The lot was cleared of debris over the winter. And volunteers, including Hughes, were waiting for the go-ahead from a surveyor who was to tell them the best location to place the house and the septic system.

Families chosen by Habitat must agree to donate 350 hours of “sweat equity” to the construction of their homes, and Hughes, a handyman technician, was itching to get started.

“In April, we started cleaning the lot in Milford,” Hughes said. “Volunteers came once a week.”  When the lot was cleared, the brush pile stood 12 feet high, 20 feet wide and 30 feet long. “It was frozen, and for weeks, we chopped, breaking it into piles, burning it and finally they got the surveyor in,” Hughes said.

That was when the bubble burst.

“We thought the surveyor would come in, get the soil tested and we’d be ready for the foundation,” Hughes said. Instead, the surveyor raised some concerns about wetlands and suggested that the group get another opinion. “The guy who sold Habitat the land told them there was a 25-foot buffer on wetlands, and the rest was buildable,” Hughes said. “What we found out was that it was all wetlands, and there was no place to put a foundation, absolutely no place.”

Recently, Greater Nashua Habitat for Humanity issued a press release announcing the Milford construction project had been put on hold because of “discrepancies” in reports from soil and plant experts. But Robert Todd, of Todd Land Use Consultants in New Boston, said Richard Kohler, his certified wetlands scientist, reported tests show “the soil is saturated.” “I surveyed the lot next door two years ago, and I saw a lot of wetlands,” Todd said. “I told Rick to be on the lookout for wetland conditions, to be forewarned.”

It’s a bitter bill for the nonprofit dedicated to building and renovating houses for families who need some help to become homeowners. And it’s worse for the families. The Hughes family has been without a permanent residence for three years.

In 2007, just before Christmas, their Hudson landlord said he was selling his house and gave the family 30 days to move out. They put their belongings in storage and moved to Hughes’ in-laws’ apartment in Milford, planning to save to buy a house. Instead, they encountered more hardship: his mother-in-law lost her job; his father-in-law became seriously ill; and the couple used their savings to help with bills. Realizing they would never get ahead while helping their extended family, the couple moved to the Ann-Marie House in Hudson, a place for families in transition that provides shelter and financial education. The aim of Ann-Marie House is to help families set financial goals and become self-sufficient.

The Hughes were making progress.

Then Hughes’ father-in-law took a turn for the worse, and the family moved back to Milford to help. At one point, there were seven people living in his in-laws’ two-bedroom apartment. Hughes said he learned about the Habitat for Humanity program after he signed up to volunteer: It hadn’t occurred to him that he would qualify.

To be selected for the program, a family must have a low to moderate income and earn enough to pay back the mortgage.

The Hugheses applied and didn’t hear anything. They took a first-time home buyer’s course taught by a former Habitat volunteer. “He put our name on the list. It was one of the first lucky breaks I’ve had in the last three years,” Hughes said of the recommendation that put him in line for one of two homes that were to be built in Milford.

His luck turned bad, again, however, several weeks ago when he learned about the surveyor’s report. Around the same time, his mother-in-law told the family they would have to move in 30 days, since she was buying a mobile home and giving up the apartment. “We have to be out by July 25, and because we don’t have a rental history; it’s hard to get a place,” Hughes said.

Ed Lopez, president of Greater Nashua Habitat for Humanity, said he hasn’t thrown in the towel completely. “We want to see if there are alternative solutions,” Lopez said. A town official said experts planned to review the surveys, and Lopez said Milford officials will give the property “a fresh look.” “The market was not the best when we purchased it. It was expensive,” Lopez said of the $105,000 lot, close to the downtown.

But Hughes, who is two weeks from having no roof to put over his family’s head, is perfectly clear about the surveyors’ reports.

He doesn’t expect a miracle.

“In a nutshell, we have nowhere to go … even though we have jobs and a good credit report. We explain the situation, and they say, ‘No.’”

Hattie Bernstein can be reached at 603.673.3100, ext. 24, or hbernstein@cabinet.com.

This Saturday, we’ll return to the Southern NH Rescue Mission (40 Chestnut Street, Nashua) to work on remaining punch list items before SNHRM gets its certificate of occupancy. This is all indoor work. 

Directions from Everett Turnpike Exit 7 (Amherst Street exit) to the mission -

1: Start out going SOUTHEAST on US-3/ NH-101A/ AMHERST ST toward US-3 S/ HENRI A BURQUE DR. Continue to follow NH-101A/ AMHERST ST. 1.6 mi to
2: Turn RIGHT onto MAIN ST/ DANIEL WEBSTER HWY. 0.2 mi to
3: Turn RIGHT onto WATER ST. 0.2 mi to
4: Turn SLIGHT RIGHT onto FACTORY ST. <0.1 mi to
5: Turn LEFT onto CHESTNUT ST. 0.2 mi to
6: End at 40 CHESTNUT ST (2nd building on LEFT). Parking on street, and behind building.

See as many of you as can make it, starting about 9:00AM.

Completed since last Saturday:
63 Tolles Street, Nashua: Completed final items in preparation for our new partner family taking ownership – replaced range hood, one screen, front storm / screen door, and basement outlet; installed CO detector; repaired fence. 

Upcoming events:
Next build site: Still seeking donations / deals.
40 Chestnut Street, Nashua (SNHRM): Finish punch list for certificate of occupancy.
Other small projects being coordinated.

If you have any questions, please call Building Committee Chairman Eric Moore at 603.620.4182.

63 Tolles Street, French Hill Neighborhood, Nashua, New Hampshire. Photo by Marie Lopez.

This Saturday, we’ll wrap up final punch list items at 63 Tolles Street, Nashua as our new partner family takes ownership. We need to replace the range hood, one screen, and the front storm / screen door; and install a CO detector. Although the long-range forecast indicates a chance for some occasional scattered showers, we should be OK since most of this work is indoors or under an awning.

Directions from Everett Turnpike, Exit 7:

EAST on AMHERST ST/NH-101A toward downtown, crossing Main (Concord) St at the light, continuing on LOWELL ST. 1.7 mi
Turn LEFT onto ORANGE ST. <<0.1 mi
First RIGHT onto LOCK ST <<0.1 mi
Immediate RIGHT onto WHITNEY ST. 0.2 mi
Turn LEFT onto TOLLES ST. #63 is on the right

See as many of you as can make it, starting about 9:00.

Upcoming events:
Next build site: Still seeking donations / deals.
40 Chestnut Street, Nashua (SNHRM): Finish punch list for certificate of occupancy.
Other small projects being coordinated.

If you have any questions, please call Building Committee Chairman Eric Moore at 603.620.4182.

Directions from Everett Turnpike Exit 7 (Amherst Street exit) to the mission

1. Start out going SOUTHEAST on US-3/ NH-101A/ AMHERST ST toward US-3 S/ HENRI A BURQUE DR. Continue to follow NH-101A/ AMHERST ST. 1.6 mi to
2. Turn RIGHT onto MAIN ST/ DANIEL WEBSTER HWY. 0.2 mi to
3. Turn RIGHT onto WATER ST. 0.2 mi to
4. Turn SLIGHT RIGHT onto FACTORY ST. <0.1 mi to
5. Turn LEFT onto CHESTNUT ST. 0.2 mi to
6. End at 40 CHESTNUT ST (2nd building on LEFT). Parking on street, and behind building.

See as many of you as can make it, starting about 9:00.

Upcoming events:

• For planning, no construction expected over the July 4th weekend.
• Next build site: Still seeking donations / deals.
• 40 Chestnut Street, Nashua (SNHRM): Finish punch list for certificate of occupancy.
• 63 Tolles Street, Nashua: Replace range hood and front screen door.
• Other small projects being coordinated.

eric
Cell: 620-4182

http://www.takeahikeforhumanity.org/

Pre-Register online:

http://takeahikeforhumanity.dojiggy.com/

• May 22, 2010: Mt. Monadnock State Park (Jaffrey, NH)
• June 5, 2010: Blue Hills Reservation (Milton, MA)

A view from Mt. Monadnock

Sign up online and create a personal pledge page.

http://takeahikeforhumanity.dojiggy.com/

Then email your personal pledge to friends and family and let them know you are raising funds in support of Habitat for Humanity in your local community.

The following hikers have already signed up in support of Greater Nashua Habitat for Humanity:

• Peter Dobratz
• Karen Files
• Craig Foti
• Jeanine Georgalas ( BAE Systems Team)
• Lisa Hansen
• Steven Hansen
• Jerry Harrow (Harrow Family Team)
• Catrina Hellmer
• Nancy Lapolice ( BAE Systems Team)
• John Normand
• Derek Skillings

Raise $125, get an event T-shirt.

More information on the Take a hike for Humanity website: http://www.takeahikeforhumanity.org/

Work continues at the Southern New Hampshire Rescue Mission. Photo by Ray Doucette.

This Saturday, we’ll continue at the Southern NH Rescue Mission (40 Chestnut Street, Nashua) to hang more doors, plus punch list items (hang bathroom mirrors and shelves, finish stair railings, hang drywall in closets and mechanical room). This is all indoor work.

Directions from Everett Turnpike Exit 7 (Amherst Street exit) to the mission…

1: Start out going SOUTHEAST on US-3/ NH-101A/ AMHERST ST toward US-3 S/ HENRI A BURQUE DR. Continue to follow NH-101A/ AMHERST ST. 1.6 mi to
2: Turn RIGHT onto MAIN ST/ DANIEL WEBSTER HWY. 0.2 mi to
3: Turn RIGHT onto WATER ST. 0.2 mi to
4: Turn SLIGHT RIGHT onto FACTORY ST. <0.1 mi to
5: Turn LEFT onto CHESTNUT ST. 0.2 mi to
6: End at 40 CHESTNUT ST (2nd building on LEFT). Parking on street, and behind building.

See as many of you as can make it, starting about 9:00.

Completed since last Saturday:
40 Chestnut St., Nashua: Framed new rough openings for closets. Hung new emergency exit exterior door.

Upcoming events:
Temporary power, 42-44 Tonella Road, Milford.
42-44 Tonella Road, Milford – still seeking donations / deals.
Other small projects being coordinated.

Any questions?  Please contact Eric Moore at 603.620.4182.