Habitat for Humanity Sarnia-Lambton officially broke ground on their latest build during a ceremony Monday morning.
The site at 348 East St. is the second build to be done in collaboration with the county, through the Lambton Builds project.
As part of that joint effort, the build will feature 24 volunteers through the county's Ontario Works program.
Lambton County's Ontario Works Manager Jane Dalziel says those volunteers will gain valuable experience on site over the next few months.
"They have an opportunity to increase their skills, but also increase their confidence and motivation, and help give them the feeling of being part of a community," she says.
Dalziel says that during the last Lambton Builds project, 29 Ontario Works volunteers were on site for roughly 2,400 hours, helping with any construction activity that didn't require a skilled labourer.
President of the Habitat for Humanity Sarnia-Lambton Board of Directors Rob VandenEnde says they're thrilled to continue their partnership with the county.
The Robinson family greets the crowd at Monday's ground breaking ceremony (Photo by Jake Jeffrey)
"It is the second one, which means the partnership worked very well the first time," says VandenEnde. "We were able to mobilize the volunteers from Ontario Works and gave them a lot of purpose for the work they did. They were just so thrilled to be here everyday, I know they got a lot from it."
VandenEnde says a project like this takes a total community effort.
"It takes a lot of working hands, there is a lot that goes on behind the scene, but it's ultimately for a great cause," says VandenEnde. "We will see it each and every day over the next couple of months as we drive by this property. We're really look forward to the fall when we see it fully constructed, but the best part for us is handing off the keys to a deserving family."
The home will feature three bedrooms, a full bathroom, an open concept kitchen and a main floor dining and living room with an unfinished basement. With construction beginning later this month, it's expected that Bruce and Jocelyn Robinson will receive the keys to their new home during a ribbon cutting ceremony in late November.
Bruce says it will be a great place to raise their 5-year-old daughter Lilly and 10-year-old son Erik.
