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PRESBYTAT III
First
Edition
By: Jimmy Glockenspiel
Welcome back my friends to the show that never
ends, we’re so glad you could attend, come inside, come inside.
Saturday, January 4th, 2003
It was a cold, blustery morning. Much better suited to sleeping in than
rising early for a little manual labor.
But this was no manual labor. It
was the “groundbreaking” for the third house built by Presbytat in East Polk
County. Who is Presbytat you ask as you
scratch your forehead in utter confusion.
Presbytat is a cooperative effort by several of the Presbyterian
churches on the east side of Imperial Polk County. The group of dedicated churches is comprised of the First
Presbyterian Churches of Auburndale, Bartow, Lake Alfred and Winter Haven. Also, Hope Presbyterian and the Ft. Meade,
Mcleod and Lake Hamilton Presbyterian churches.
This home is the 48th home in East Polk
County to be built by Habitat for Humanity of East Polk County. Upon completion, this decent, comfortable
and safe home, will be owned by Brenda Rose and her daughter LaToyal. LaToyal will be an incoming freshman at that
girl’s college in Tallahassee, FSU.
Some smart alec asked her if she couldn’t get into UF and she said she
got accepted into both but chose FSU because of her intended major. Best of luck, LaToyal. You will have a wonderful home to come back
to on the weekends and during breaks.
The home will consist of 1,040 SF and will feature
3 bedrooms, one full bath, an eat – in kitchen, family room, full sized laundry
a covered porch and vinyl siding.
The groundbreaking was attended by about 45-50
wonderful folks made up of men and women, boys and girls, board members of the
East Polk Habitat for Humanity, members of the respective churches and the Mayor
of Winter Haven, Mike Easterling.
Mr. Bob Hicks, the executive director of the East
Polk county Habitat for Humanity gave the opening remarks about 8:00 AM
explaining the purpose of the organization, introducing Brenda and LaToyal and
providing inspiration to those of us who are new to the Habitat
experience. He also introduced the
project foremen, Mr. Jim Lammer, Mr. Len Weibe and Mr. Henry Braun. The home was blessed and work began.
The concrete slab had already been poured so that it may “cure” in time for the legions of workers who will donate their blood, sweat and tears over the next few weeks to build this wonderful home. The four exterior walls were raised as smoothly as the running of a Swiss watch as well as a couple of interior walls. The bedrooms and bath were marked on the slab for next week’s efforts.
Around 9:00, Sir Alan “James Bond” Harvey,
associate pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Winter Haven arrived in
his lime green Aston Martin, fully equipped with gold hubcaps and a pair of
fuzzy dice hanging from the rear view mirror.
He stepped out of the bachelor mobile to reveal a silver ascot, black
driving gloves and shoes and a very dapper jet black kangol hat. Not looking like he was dressed to swing a
hammer, he made the rounds, pressed a little flesh and left to take care of
some pastoral responsibilities. Several
ladies gasped as he was leaving and one said he was prettier than that James
Bond fellow.
After the last nail was driven and the tools put
up, a wonderful lunch of hot chili, deli-ring sandwiches, chips and soft drinks
replenished the energy of those hard working, big-hearted folks. Bob Grode, a Habitat board member and FP of
WH church member then donned a sequined mid-drift t-shirt and did a whimsical
rendition of that classic European tango “There’s a place in France, where the
nekid women dance”. It was quite a scene.
The address of the home is 277 18th St,
NE. To get there, go out Dundee Road to
17th St and turn left (this is the street between the Circle K and
the Jj Tack Shack). Go to the first
street and take a right. Follow this
street as it turns left and the home site is the last lot on the left.
Work begins every Saturday at 8:00AM unless it is
raining.
This is a very worthwhile endeavor and worthy of
your time. It really is. I would encourage any and all of you to come
out and lend a hand. You don’t need any
particular skills, just a willingness to work.
There is always something to you to do.
Even if it is putting on band-aids, getting some one a soft drink,
picking up scraps and taking them to the dumpster or just saying “at a boy”
when the heavy lifting starts.
CYA Saturday at 8:00 AM.
To be continued……….