A volunteer’s story: ‘I’m glad we’re doing it’

By Nathan Solheim
Star Staff Writer
06-10-2003

The only home to be built this week in western Anniston is being photographed daily to show how much work is being done on the house each day. Starting day one with only the foundation, top, volunteers were able to completely frame the house, located at 1530 Pine Ave., in one day. Stacy Banks took a break from the midday heat that bore down on 1530 Pine Ave. like a hammer. She sipped some water and cooled a bit. She had spent the morning hauling roof trusses, running measurements to carpenters and mounting walls. She hadn’t met the prospective owner, Edna Mae Yates, before Monday. As she cooled, she realized that a gray slab from the morning had turned into a skeleton rising from the dirt. "It was 10 till 11 o’clock when we got all that done, and I thought it was pretty good work for four hours."

The 27-year-old Ballwin, Mo., resident and Solutia tax accountant will pound nails into brand new two-by-fours and hang sheetrock that may bear family pictures or prints. "I had been interested in getting involved with Habitat, I just didn’t know how to get involved. Solutia asked for volunteers, and I jumped on it." Her co-workers at House No. 36 are associated with Solutia. Banks took a couple days of vacation to come to Anniston and swing hammers. She has a little experience in this work; she finished her basement last summer. She can swing a hammer, but she also knows her mission. "I’m glad we’re doing it. Hopefully that can help these people have a nice house they’re proud of, and maybe others will get their homes in comparable condition so they’ll be proud to live here, too."

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