The Columbus Lowndes Habitat for Humanity is currently working on its 49th house since it arrived in Columbus 29 years ago, but there is one feature to the current build that stands unique among all those projects.
The little home on 12th Ave. North in Columbus will feature a steel roof, courtesy of Steel Dynamics, who donated 10,000 pounds of painted steel, enough to put roofs on four to five houses.
With its partners on the project – Mississippi Steel Processing, Magnum Metals of Nettleton and Ervin Brothers Roofing, the donated materials and labor shaves off about $10,000 from the cost of the project. That’s more than just a gesture, particularly in the case of the person who will be moving into the home. At 89 years old and retired, it means further shrinking the cost of her eventual mortgage to something Mary Bush can afford, even on her fixed income.
Our community is blessed with a wide array of manufacturers, skilled craftsmen and service providers. We are also challenged by great needs in our community, especially now. When FEMA ruled that private properties would not be provided assistance as they attempt to recover from the devastating tornado of Feb. 23, many home-owners realized the cost to repair their properties would be a task. Some 275 homes were destroyed or damaged. Many of those homes were not covered by insurance.
Just hours after the tornado passed through some of the poorest neighborhoods of the city, residents from all over the city and county arrived to provide what help they could. As needed and as appreciated as those efforts have been, the needs exceed what can reasonably be expected by a handful of good-hearted residents.
Steel Dynamics’ donation to the Habitat project, we believe, sets a good example for our manufacturing and business communities to follow. Many, many times over the years, these companies have provided what is called “in-kind” services for a wide variety of public projects – providing materials or services that greatly reduce cost.
We believe there is an opportunity to extend that “in-kind” help to individuals by working through local charities and groups whose missions are the serve the less-fortunate members of our community.
We encourage our business community to reach out to the organizations and make a commitment to providing their unique services to those and other efforts.
There are hundreds of non-profits throughout the Golden Triangle and hundreds of ways to help each one.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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