A large group of Hyundai employees switched from building cars to constructing a house for a needy family in north Montgomery on Saturday. Several welders who worked the night shift at the auto plant got in a few hours' sleep before arriving at the Millard Fuller Drive house where they climbed up onto the roof with hammers and nails.
"We're going to use their talents driving nails," said Harry Garland, a retired sailor who is the construction supervisor for the 1,700-square-foot house under construction. Karlton Gregory worked at the Hyundai plant until 3 a.m. Saturday, but didn't appear a bit sleepy as he began nailing down a felt cover before the permanent roof is installed in a few days.
"I was happy to volunteer," said Gregory, a Texas native. "This could be me. If something happened to me in life and I wasn't able to go in the direction I did, I might need a helping hand, too."
Jackie Stark, the lone female in the large group, said she'd wanted to help construct a Habitat house "and when they gave us the opportunity, I volunteered."
John Smith, an Air Force senior master sergeant, and Phil Tomlin, a Michigan State University graduate with a degree in supply management, also were part of the team that spent the afternoon working on the house.
"This is No. 13 for me," said Smith. "I helped build 12 houses at Shaw Air Force Base in South Carolina before I moved here."
Garland said several other Habitat houses have been built in the neighborhood, with land still available for more.
"Anytime you can get together and try to assist somebody to life themselves up, it's good," Garland said. "This is not a handout. They've got to work for it and get a sense of ownership when the house is finished."
Watching from across the street was Kenna Sankey, 21, whose family moved into a Habitat home after living in a smaller place in another part of Montgomery.
"We let them pick out the colors they want in the siding," he said. "This is a four-bedroom house. The size of the house usually depends on the size of the family we're helping."
Garland said he learned about Habitat during his 20-year Navy career, but never had the chance to pitch in and help someone build a home.
"I fell in love with Habitat and I volunteered as soon as I had the chance," he said.
Construction began on the house in early March and Garland believes it will be complete by the end of May or early June. Volunteer labor cut the cost of the house to about $40,000.
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