Like bees

on a hive, hundreds of volunteers swarmed around the site

of Trinity Park's newest Habitat for Humanity house this

week, determined to finish the 1,320-sq. ft. structure on

schedule for its predetermined owner, Rhonda Head.

Members of

six Fayette County Methodist churches collaborated on the

"blitz build" in shifts starting last Saturday.

Record high temperatures prompted workers to drink 60

gallons of water and 30 gallons of Powerade during the

first two days of the blitz, food captain Marsha Wells

reported.

Providence

United Methodist in Peachtree City, Fayetteville First

United Methodist, North Fayette United Methodist and

Ebenezer United Methodist, all in Fayetteville, Hopewell

United Methodist in Tyrone and Inman United Methodist in

Brooks collaborated on all aspects of the project under

the direction of Marla Brack of Providence UMC and Doug

Higgins of First UMC.

Not even

the heavy band of thunderstorms that blew though the

Clayton County subdivision Saturday slowed their

progress. Workers were on the job after Sunday services

with their pastors' blessings, playing catch up.

This is

Providence UMC's second year building a Habitat house,

according to Brack. Last year they teamed up with

Peachtree City UMC for a similar blitz build. With the

Peachtree City congregation building a neighboring house

of their own this year, Providence decided to form a

coalition. "It's been a little different this

year," Brack explained.

"We

combined the money and donations from the all the

churches, and have worked for the last three months

organizing and soliciting materials," she said.

Licensed tradesmen needed for installation of electric,

heating and air, volunteered their time to perform the

more intricate work. Donations of a deck package from

Home Depot and cash donations from other sponsors

provided the necessary $45,000 worth of money and

materials.

Rhonda

Head, who is employed as an office automation assistant

for the Centers for Disease Control in Decatur, also is

the mother of three boys, a set of twins age 9, and a

4-year-old. Her dream of home ownership began two years

ago when she first made application with Habitat for

Humanity, Southern Crescent. She was passed over the

first time, but tried again and was selected for the

20-year amortized, interest-free mortgage.

of this week, she had completed her 150 hours of

"sweat equity," required by Habitat of all

prospective homeowners. "It's somethings else,"

Head commented about her new home. The four-bedroom

model, which comes complete with her choice of carpeting

and flooring, will be dedicated by the churches Aug. 8.

Head was

described as a "very strong woman" by a number

of volunteers who have worked shoulder-to-shoulder with

her the past week. She is particularly well thought of by

one of her fellow CDC workers, Dean Fenley of Decatur.

"Rhonda is the secretary for our group at the

CDC," Fenley said. He decided to take a week off

from work to help build the house, his fourth Habitat

project.

While Head

is able to finance her own home through the local Habitat

initiative, 25 to 30 homes also will be built in

Chanyanya, Zambia, as a result of her purchase. John

Bowen, executive director for Southern Crescent Habitat,

explained that for every $45,000 tithed here, $650 goes

to Zambia where additional homes can be built. "A

donation to Habitat is an eternal gift," Bowen

added, noting how the money is continually recycled.

Habitat for

Humanity is a 22-year-old, non-profit Christian housing

ministry dedicated to eliminating substandard housing.

Volunteers work side by side with future homeowners

building houses and community partnerships.

The program

provides a way for low- to moderate-income families to

own decent, affordable homes of their own.

For

information on Habitat for Humanity, Southern Crescent,

serving Clayton, Fayette and Henry counties, contact the

office at 142 South Main St., Jonesboro; 770-477-2367. Or

e-mail Bowen at [email protected] .

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