Greater Springfield Habitat for Humanity Building Legacy House in One Week

SPRINGFIELD — This week, Greater Springfield Habitat for Humanity (GHSFH) will celebrate the end of its 30th anniversary, in partnership with the Home Builder’s Blitz program, by building a house to honor the visionary leadership of GSHFH’s past 30 years, including York Mayo, Bob Perry, Bruce and Ruth Pierce, George Burtch, Pastor Led Baxter, First Church in Ludlow, Ellen Freyman, Bill Mazeine, Neil Swinton, Walt Tomala, Jennifer Schimmel, Jason Tsitso, Karen Carlson, and Steve Gelling.

The house, located at 963 Sumner Ave. in Springfield, will be constructed in one week — specifically, exterior complete with interior drywall finished. This build is made possible with the help of habitat partner families, local construction companies, and hundreds of volunteers from the local community, as well as Guatemala. Funding was made possible, in part, through the Beveridge Family Foundation, the Irene E. & George A. Davis Foundation, the Perry family, the Mayo family, the Lyons family, TNT General Contracting, and many more partners (for a full listing, visit www.habitatspringfield.org).

The Legacy Build Week activities at 963 Sumner Ave. kicked off on July 14 with the wall raising. The build will continue throughout the week from 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. On Saturday, July 21 at 4 p.m., a celebration will take place, kicking off the 31st year with a proclamation from City Councilor Kateri Walsh, along with the blessing of three Springfield homes and their families, including 37 Bristol St., 1512 Dwight St., and 963 Sumner Ave. An ice-cream social and a tour of 963 Sumner Ave. will conclude the ceremony.