Dirt and Foundations
Hardly anyone wants to work on the foundations. So to sweeten the volunteering, we all get a turn at backfilling the trenches with sand using the tracked Bobcat. This also could be a fundraiser by charging for the fun!
Habitat for Humanity in Review
Edes Ave, Oakland Project
Phase A-3 2008
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Click on any picture for more detail |
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Dirt and Foundations Hardly anyone wants to work on the foundations. So to sweeten the volunteering, we all get a turn at backfilling the trenches with sand using the tracked Bobcat. This also could be a fundraiser by charging for the fun! |
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Dave Rosenberg, who worked with John for many years, saw the Bobcat picture and decided he wanted to volunteer too! He we pose with our fearless leader, Chrissy, after a day of setting foundation forms (plus or minus 1/8" please). |
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Easter Basket Jo-Ann loves to surprise the group with sweets. Here, Chrissy shows here fascination when she spies the new addition to our 'dining table'. |
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Mike and Dave are a part of a special troop of volunteers who help erect the party walls. This is a 'critical lift' for HfH and too many engineers cannot spoil the pot. Here Dave is removing the lift lugs to leapfrog to the final wall. Mike is safety standby. |
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Build-a-thon Executive Build John attends the first day of the build where he is privileged to work with Mike Bugbee, the President of Simpson Strong Tie. Here Mike shows how to properly attach an earthquake tie-down. |
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On the third day of the big build-a-thon, John has become good friends with Flo, the homeowner slated to move into home 26. She loves the pneumatic nailer and is devoted to attaining perfection of her shear straps. |
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Getting Tired On the last day of the build, John is getting a bit tired. This is almost like work. But Juan, Steve and Chrissy are still smiling! For them this is almost like volunteering! |
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Abbie hides behind the podium while Alyssa does a finger bandage puppet extolling the virtues of being safe on the job. Yes, everyone left with all the fingers they came with, including Alyssa. |
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More Food for Steve? Steve pays us to get a good whipped cream pie in the face. This is one of the fun, fundraising activities during the lunchtime at the Build-a-thon. |
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Time out for Alameda We divert to the Alameda site for a few months. Here John works with 2 new friends from Concord BMW and Merideth, a young friend here for the summer as an intern. She loves the 255MAG Skillsaw, which is about as big as she is! |
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Niece Julia and Willa John is happy to have his niece, Julia Daly and her BFF, Willa help out for a day. We're getting to final stage for Alameda. Painting touch up and dryer vents. Back to Oakland next week. |
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John is privileged to have one of the homeowners as a helper to install the nosings at the top of the stairs. Pergo flooring is environmentally good, but hard to terminate at the top of the stairs. John's shop has been put to good use now making custom stained hardwood transition strips for 28 HfH homes. But what is really fun is seeing the joy and enthusiasm of a homeowner doing work on his own home! |
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Time Out John and Dave take a regular volunteer day and go to the Simpson Strong Tie course in Stockton. Were else would there be 'artwork' of an A-35 on the wall? The slow pace of production on the factory floor really tells the story of the housing bust. And boy, did we learn a lot! |
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Made in the Shade John and Mike install some shades for the solar panel inverters. Turns out the Sun, creator of the energy also has a negative effect on the electronics needed to make regular household current. So we'll keep it in the dark and happy. This is not a birdhouse! |
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Very Special Friends At the dedication ceremony, everyone gets all spiffed up and we hardly recognize each other! John was able to catch a moment as our fearless leaders, Steve and Chrissy, bask in the satisfaction of another set of homes complete. Great job guys! And thank you for letting us help. |
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The Beginning!
