Nonprofit transforms grain bins into housing for the needy

An unusual method for sheltering those in need was displayed at the Sandusky County Restorers of Antique Power show over the Labor Day weekend.

Barb Meister, domestic adviser for GoServ Global, showcased a modified grain bin, engineered in partnership with manufacturer Sukup Manufacturing Co., of Sheffield, Iowa. The structure, which includes venting and heat shielding, insulation, windows and large attachments to hold it in place, is designed to meet the needs of people victimized by poverty and natural disasters.

Meister said the organization began when an Iowa farmer and pilot, transporting food and materials to suffering Haitians, decided to fly over a devastated area and view the plight of the people near the city of Leskeyes.

Founded for earthquake victims

"It was founded after the 2010 earthquake," Meister said. She explained that the pilot, Ken DeYoung, and co-founder Terry Baxter approached Sukup with their idea to modify grain bin structures into small housing units. With Sukup's help, the two worked up the design, which costs $7,500 per unit, installed, she said.

"We are 100% nonprofit," Meister said, adding that the buildings are all funded by private donations. "We're a nonprofit, faith-based, non-denominational organization."

Quickly constructed

"This goes up in a day," Meister continued, showing off the living space. She said that skilled crews can have one of the houses constructed and anchored in as little as five hours. She added that the units serve not only as homes, but as spaces for ministerial uses.

According to the group's website, the overall round design withstands high winds, while the near-zero seismic load is virtually earthquake proof.

The homes have 254 square feet of interior space, providing families with long-term refugee housing or short-term disaster relief.

The silo houses are made of 20-gauge galvanized steel and measure 18 feet in diameter with 8 foot sidewalls and stand 13.5 feet from the bottom to the roof peak.

Serve as orphanages and a birthing center

Four to five sets of bunk beds have been added to serve as orphanages in Uganda, and several units are scheduled to be built in Kenya and Liberia for various uses this fall, Meister said.

"We have over 500 in Haiti," Meister said, adding that there are also 40-50 in Peru. One of the units in Haiti, which serves as a birthing center, recently saw the birth of its 1,000th child.

Meister encouraged anyone interested in the program to visit the organization's website, goservglobal.org.

mmagnuson@gannett.com

419-332-2674

This article originally appeared on Fremont News-Messenger: Grain bins make housing for the needy