New Habitat Homeowner Thanks Volunteers

Oct 7, 2013 7:03 AM

News Release

It started in May, and now Sarah and Chris Smolinski’s dream of owning their own home is coming true.

“Well the time has arrived, the end is here!” Sarah Smolinski wrote on Friday in a message to volunteers who helped build Habitat for Humanity of Seneca County’s 11^th home at 4 Seneca Road “We will be moving into our new home very very shortly,” Smolinski said. “We could not be happier, we are all just speechless!!! We will keep everyone updated on the actual day! Thanks again for everyone who has made time to come help and make this happen for us!”

Construction manager Lou Ferrara agreed. “We are so close I can taste it,” he said. Ed Thurston Services of Seneca Falls was scheduled to return this week to do the final excavating and grading, and volunteers from IBEW 840 will return to finish installing the hights and electrical hookups for applances.

But Karen Simon, Habitat board member, said no move volunteers will be needed to finish the home.

Each week, Sarah, her husband, Chris, her father Glen McMasters, her mother Sue, and aunt Jill Zaborowski of Ontario, showed up at 4 Seneca Road to put in the required sweat equity to build the four-bedroom home.

The property will be sold to the Smolinski family under a standard mortgage. They participated in classes in home ownership and financial planning. In addition, they are required to put in 500 hours of “sweat equity” to complete the project. Habitat has an Affordable Housing Grant to partially offset the building costs.

“I’ve always wanted a house of my own,” Sarah said. “My son brought home a flyer. I filled out the application. It was very easy. We had an interview by Seneca Housing Inc. and our credit checked out.”

Sarah and Chris currently live in Waterloo and have three young children – Serena, Kalib, and Taylor. Sarah is the store manager for Claire’s at the Finger Lakes Mall in Auburn and Chris manages the household. Sarah’s father, Glen McMasters, was a construction worker, and Sarah said she has “always been around building. It was fun to put what I picked up to use..” Sarah said she enjoyed every part of building her home from scratch, but installing the exterior vinyl siding was her favorite, because her whole family worked together on the project.

“The kids are counting down the days,” Sarah said. Each child has chosen the theme of his or her room, Sarah said – sky blue Dr. Seuss for Serena, blue Toy Story for Kalib and pink Rapunzel for Taylor. The Smolinskis chose to do the painting and decorating themselves to speed the project toward their goal to move in before Halloween.

Since 2000, Habitat has constructed or rehabilitated 11 homes in Seneca Falls, Waterloo, Junius and Interlaken. In the past five years, Habitat has added $16,000 per year in county, town and school tax revenues to the community, plus water and sewer revenues. Ferrara said that has been made possible through the generous donations of time and services by many construction professionals. For example IESI Seneca Meadows has donated the use of a dumpster for seven loads of construction debris. “If they hadn’t taken the debris for free, that’s another $700 that would have been added to the homeowner’s mortgage. Without efforts like that, we wouldn’t have been so successful.”

The public is invited to celebrate Habitat’s success at its annual dinner on Friday, Oct. 25 at Ventosa Vineyards. There will be door prizes and a silent auction featuring donations from area businesses, organizations and individuals. The annual dinner will begin with a cocktail hour from 6 to 7 p.m. followed by dinner from 7 to 9 p.m. with music by Sarah and Joe Mull. Knock It Off will play music for dancing following dinner.

Tickets are available at $50 per person or $350 for a table of 8 and may be purchased at Downtown Deli in Seneca Falls and Generations Bank.

Habitat for Humanity is non-profit ecumenical Christian housing organization that works in partnership with qualifying families to build homes or renovate existing homes that will create decent, affordable housing. The houses then are sold to those who qualify at no profit and with no interest charged. Mortgage payments received by the affiliate are used to build more homes. Please visit the website for more information. http://www.habitatseneca.org/