Groundbreaking marks family's new beginning
Building on their dream of homeownership, the Neuenschwanders will celebrate an important milestone in the construction of their new home - and the community is invited to join in on the fun.
A celebration begins at 2 p.m. Sunday, June 28, at the construction site on Summit Street in Monticello. A short program will be followed by refreshments.
"Constructing this home is a big undertaking and a huge leap of faith for the all volunteer board of Habitat for Humanity, especially coming off a year where we completed three homes. But we are excited, motivated and ready for the challenge," said Habitat for Humanity President Rob Frie.
The home has been named "The Gillespie Home" and is dedicated to Laverne Gillespie, a longtime supporter of Habitat for Humanity in Green County.
Gillespie has served on the board of Habitat for over 12 years and in almost every position, including the presidency. He has retired from the board but plans to remain as active as he can with the construction committee, lending his years of experience and expertise.
No experience is necessary to help build these homes, only a willing attitude. Call (608) 329-4024 and leave your name and number if you would like to be added to the volunteer list. Tax deductible monetary donations are needed and appreciated, as well. Make checks payable to Green County HFH and mail to P.O. Box 398, Monroe, WI 53566. For more information, visit www.greencountyhabitat.org.
"Going to this church (Grace Church in New Glarus) changed things a lot in our life," Lea said.
"That's the way we see it," Todd added. "We were living paycheck to paycheck. There was no consistency."
One of the changes is owning a house of their own, maybe as early as Christmas, with the help of Habitat for Humanity.
"The biggest shock was of getting this house," Lea said.
Lea thought they'd never own a home until their four daughters, now ages 14 to 17, grew up and moved out.
"She said she couldn't wait for us to graduate, so she could save some money and get a house," her daughter Rachel, 17, teased.
"Every time you start to build up a little savings, it's 'I need this; I need that,'" Lea said.
"I don't know if the idea of owning a house has sunk in yet," she said. "I always planned and always have been told no."
None of the family was expecting to be chosen as Green County Habitat for Humanity's next home owners.
"I thought there were people more needy than us," Rachel said. "But she (Lea) told me, you gotta keep your hopes up."
"Katie and I found out after school," Kelly, 14, said. "We were really excited, we didn't think we'd get it. The house we live in now is pretty decent. I thought there would be families worse off than we are."
Habitat for Humanity looks at more than neediness on an application when choosing a qualifying family.
Todd Neuenschwander believes the changes the family had made before applying were a major factor in being chosen.
"We had come to a point in our lives where we needed to make changes," Lea said. "We were tired of the way we were living."
Even with Lea milking cows and Todd feeding cattle, working 10 to 12 hours a day in split shifts, there never was quite enough money or time.
"We were fighting everything all the time (to keep bills paid) and keep the family fed," Todd remembered.
Changes started coming when Lea started looking for a church.
Grace Church was warm and friendly and offered many classes, small group meetings and activities for the girls, according to Todd.
"It opened our eyes to a lot we could change in our lives and in being a family," he said.
Todd and Lea first attended six weeks of classes based on the movie "Fireproof," which made their marriage stronger.
On the heels of that course, they attended a 13-week course on managing the family finances. Todd said they have kept their bills paid up for over a year now.
The church also opened a door to bringing Habitat for Humanity into their lives, Lea added. A member of the church, Cathy Sennet, is Habitat's public relations coordinator. She encouraged them to apply for a home.
Lea didn't rely on Habitat for a house and attended an eight-hour house-buying seminar on her own to prepare her for the day when she and Todd could buy a home.
"So I knew I was better prepared to buy if we didn't get the (Habitat) house," she said.
Habitat for Humanity of Green County is a nonprofit Christian housing ministry dedicated to building decent, affordable housing in partnership with those in need in Green County. Since 1991, Habitat for Humanity of Green County has worked with 16 families to build or remodel homes.
Todd, Lea and Rachel, who will turn 18 on July 4, each will dedicate at least 250 hours of work on their new home in Monticello.