Eastern Eight Community Development Corporation is inviting volunteers to come out Friday morning and help make dreams come true for local families.
As part of national NeighborWorks Week, Eastern Eight is hosting a volunteer day Friday from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. at Patriot Place subdivision, located off of Big Springs Road, where volunteers will be helping to build homes for two local families.
“We are going to waterproof two homes,” said Amy Livingston with Eastern Eight. “We are going to put down sub-flooring and put up framing, or as we call it raising walls.”
Volunteers will also be seeding and strawing the yards for the two homes.
While helping to construct a home may sound like a daunting task for some, Livingston said no previous construction experience is necessary to volunteer.
“Whatever your skill set, we can use you somewhere,” she said.
Eastern Eight has participated in the NeighborWorks Week for the last several years and it has been a successful venture for the agency.
“We had a lot come last year,” Livingston said, adding there were even children who volunteered. “We had a youth group come and they had a blast,” she said.
The youngest volunteer last year was around 10 years old, but parents should be mindful that it is a construction site when they consider bringing children to assist.
Livingston recommends volunteers dress comfortable in clothing they can work in and don’t mind getting dirty.
“Wear cool clothes because it’s going to be hot,” she said, adding there will be shade to take breaks and plenty of water available to drink.
Volunteers will receive a free t-shirt for participating and Livingston said food and drinks will be provided for volunteers thanks to the support of local businesses.
Livingston said several local businesses have helped support the volunteer workday by donating building supplies, food or other items. She wanted to thank Builder’s First Source, Home Depot, Pepsi, Fazolli’s, Bojangles, Taco Bell, and Plumb, Level, Square for their support of the program.
Those wanting to participate in the volunteer work day can call 423-232-5097 to register. “We like to have an idea of how many are coming,” Livingston said.
However, volunteers are also welcome to show up the day of the event. “We won’t turn them away,” Livingston said.
Eastern Eight Community Development Corporation is a nonprofit organization creating affordable housing solutions for the eight counties of Northeast Tennessee — Carter, Greene, Hancock, Hawkins, Johnson, Sullivan, Unicoi, and Washington. The agency’s programs include homebuyer education, financial counseling, mortgage pre-approval, continuing homeowner education and foreclosure prevention and counseling. Easter Eight also works to develop and rehabilitate homes, including manufactured housing, and offers a select number of rental properties.
Chartered in 1998, Eastern Eight Community Development Corporation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation and a certified Community Housing Development Organization (CHDO). According to Eastern Eight’s website (www.e8cdc.org), the agency’s mission is “to fulfill housing needs for low to moderate income families, making home ownership a reality for a multitude of people.”