About a dozen Bank of America employees were working hard on Friday, Oct. 25, with one goal in mind – helping turn a former vacant lot into a family’s new home. Two of those bank employees were Bobbi Schroeder and Amanda Kettering. They were both busy doing a variety of big and small jobs to […]
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About a dozen Bank of America employees were working hard on Friday, Oct. 25, with one goal in mind – helping turn a former vacant lot into a family’s new home.
Two of those bank employees were Bobbi Schroeder and Amanda Kettering. They were both busy doing a variety of big and small jobs to help the Habitat for Humanity Quad Cities organization build a new home on the west side of Davenport at 1611 W. 17th St.
“I just love what they (Habitat for Humanity) do. I want to help where I can,” said Ms. Kettering, after helping install drywall in one of the home’s bedrooms.
Just a few feet away, Ms. Schroeder also was hard at work in the new home. On Friday (and at other work sessions in the home) she was helping with drywalling, siding, painting and many other jobs.
“I just want to help the community. … This work has been so neat,” she said.
In addition to their labor, Bank of America employees are also helping local Habitat homes with their money. On Friday, the bank donated $17,500 to help Habitat for Humanity to build and rehabilitate homes in the Quad Cities region.
Over the next year, Bank of America employees will volunteer with 100 Habitat organizations across the country to help build, repair and renovate homes alongside homeowners, according to information from the bank.
“Volunteers are the cornerstone for this program. … We take career renters and turn them into homeowners,” said Tom King, CEO of Habitat for Humanity Quad Cities, before Friday’s ceremonial check passing outside the new home.
That home is being built near the intersection of Division and 17th streets and not too far from the ultra-busy Davenport Five Points intersection. It is the 139th area home being built by Habitat for Humanity QC, and the second Habitat home to be built on 17th Street. The first Habitat home in the neighborhood is about a block way.
In addition to presenting the big donation from the Bank of America, Friday’s work on the 139th Habitat home centered on putting up drywall. (Some of that work can be seen on this video.)
If all goes according to schedule, the home on 17th Street should be complete in the spring. That one-story home has three bedrooms and almost 1,200 square feet of space.
The success of the 17th Street home and future Habitat home projects all center on the efforts of its volunteers, according to Mr. King.
For more than 30 years, the nonprofit group has brought together an army of volunteers to build new homes, renovate old homes, build wheelchair ramps and many other projects.
“We can find something for every volunteer,” he added.
Go here to learn more about volunteering for Habitat for Humanity.
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