Show-Me Central Habitat Blitz Build will build four homes in 10 days
The Show-Me Central Habitat for Humanity's 10-day, four-home Blitz Build is right around the corner.
The official kickoff date is Tuesday and runs through Sept. 28. A dedication event is scheduled 11 a.m. Sept. 29 at the Boone Prairie Subdivision at 3909 Brown Station Road where keys will be handed off to four families.
Hundreds of volunteers locally and from across the country will descend on the subdivision to get four houses framed up and ready for for plumbing and HVAC subcontractors to come in to do their work. Another four houses will already have plumbing and HVAC ready to go so that the volunteers can finish up these homes with drywalling, flooring, cabinetry and more.
So, while four families will end up with keys to homes at the end of the Blitz Build, eight families were selected to participate.
The build is supported by the Blitz Build organization, Show-Me Central Habitat and sponsors Veterans United, EquipmentShare, Mid-City Lumber and Broadway Christian Church among others.
"At EquipmentShare, we are always looking for ways to be valuable members of the community and give back to those who need support," wrote Meg Judy to the Tribune in March, deputy director of public relations and communications. "A Blitz Build for Habitat for Humanity makes so much sense for a construction technology company. This event will be perfect for us and our employees."
There is a lot of logistics associated with the project, including feeding the daily 120 or more volunteers, said Ashley Switzer, Show-Me Central Habitat community outreach director earlier this year. Months of planning goes into an event like this, she added.
Shakespeare's Pizza, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, is providing a post-Blitz Build pizza party at the Sept. 29 dedication ceremony.
"I'm most excited about the energy coming to Columbia," Switzer said back in March. " ... The scale of everything is larger and much more involved. It's going to take a whole community buy-in for it to work.
"This is going to bring a lot of awareness to affordable housing in Columbia and on a national scale."
There is a lot of excitement that surrounds a blitz build event, and Switzer hopes this can push Show Me Habitat and the community to the next level as it builds relationships with other affiliates.
"A neighborhood isn't a neighborhood until the families move in," Switzer said. "You get to see how they decorate and the personality that comes out in the neighborhood and how the kids use the space.
"It is nice to see the difference you are making and as the neighborhood grows, how much more vibrant everything is."
To get ready for next week, five homes already in progress had to get finished. The University of Missouri Football team stepped up in April to help get homes underway or put on their final finishing touches. Among those helping were defensive linemen Jayden Jernigan and Darius Robinson, who volunteer regularly in the community.
More: September Blitz Build to provide home for Columbia woman with unique family situation
"We go to the elementary schools and do recess, the lunch programs and into the classroom sometimes," Jernigan said in April, which was echoed by Robinson.
Jernigan looked forward to learning some construction skills while helping out at the subdivision, he said.
"This is a cool thing you don't get to see every day," Jernigan said.
Robinson saw parallels between the volunteer project and playing on the team.
"It's kind of like football where everybody has a job to get something done. We help where we can," he said.
More: MU football players help finish Habitat for Humanity homes ahead of September blitz build
Charles Dunlap covers local government, community stories and other general subjects for the Tribune. You can reach him at cdunlap@columbiatribune.com or @CD_CDT on Twitter. Subscribe to support vital local journalism.
This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Show-Me Central Habitat's Blitz Build in Columbia starts Tuesday
