Latest / Watts Up with Bowling Green Winlectric / Building More Than Homes: How Habitat for Humanity Changes Lives in Barren County
Transcript
- Savannah Gillispie: Hey guys, this is Sean with What's Up with Windlectric. Today, Steve Jones is joining us from Habitat for Humanity. He is the executive director with the Barron County area? Habitat for Humanity? Let's get that right. It's something like that. It's close enough. Close enough. So he's gonna join us today to tell us about Habitat for Humanity and The impact that your organization has on our community. But first off, can you tell our listeners a little bit about yourself? I've basically been in Barron County for about 40 years now. I was an electrician, still my electrical license before I joined Habitat. Been with Habitat for 11 years now. Yeah. Nice. And enjoyed a lot. I've got a wife named Debbie, used to be at the recreation department, and everybody in the county knows her. Yeah, yeah. That's that's actually how I met you way back in the day. Yeah. You got a grandson, nine months old. What? Yeah. Yeah. That's right. I rem I remember you telling me that last time. I'm terrible. Yeah. Yeah, that's awesome. Congratulations, man. Thank you. I got I got three now. in that one. Three grandkids. They're bad. Bad. But yours is probably not bad yet. Not yet. Not yet. Just crawling, so give a little time. Yeah, so did you kind of find out about habitat and kinda get involved as as a point from being an electrician or was it just other avenues? No. Being an electrician. I'd been working maintenance at Glenview Healthcare, decided I wanted to become electrical, so they paid for me to go to electrical class. And while I was there we worked on a habitat house. Mm. And so that's where I got my first taste of it. I went back and did troubleshooting on it as a student, learned to troubleshoot, and started volunteering from there. I kinda got away from it for several years and Gary May asked me to come be on the board. So I was on the board for about three years and we needed an executive director to make things run smooth. Billy not Billy. I can't think of his name, Billy, yeah. was over it and took care of everything. He's a plumber and electrician in town. He'd been doing it for years, he died. Billy Elmore, I'll get out here. So I stepped off board and stepped in this role and loved every day of it. Nice. Do want to point out real quick, because I see you got some beads of sweat running down your forehead, that the air is out at WCLU today. So we are recording in like ninety degree temperature here. That's part it part of it. I'm just scared. part of it he's afraid of the questions, the fireball questions I'm gonna send his way. Yeah. Now so I guess let's kind of move on to habitat and if you can give us a broad overview of what habitat does for the the bu the Barron County area. Habitat's main objective is to build houses for people that can't afford houses otherwise. It's not a handout. It's a hand up, okay? Nice. We do such things as it's a real low closing cost. There's no interest on it. So we'll build a house and whatever the house costs us to put on the ground, turnkey in, is what we charge the people. Knight Mechanical gives us our air units, our labor, all our material for that, so there's no charge to the homeowner for that. You all donate electrical stuff, lights to us, so there's no charge to homeowner for that. So it cuts the cost down. Then you take an interest free loan It's a very affordable loan. Right. Most of our payments are with with escrow are running right around four eighty to five and quarter right now. Wow. So Wow. And so you mentioned nice mechanical, does H V A C do you have somebody that usually helps out with plumbing as well, or do you kinda rotate people in and out on Jeff Boss does all our plumbing because he gives us a good deal. J he does charge baits a good good deal. Yeah, he's a good guy. Yeah. and do you guys well what I was gonna ask actually is you mentioned it's a hand up, right, instead of a hand out, which I I love that phrase. That's the first time I've actually heard that. but I know that there's a certain requirement for the homeowner to provide on the job site as well, correct? Three hundred and twenty five hours of the homeowner Sweat equity we call it. Right now twenty five hours of that is let's call it class time. we go over financials with and kinda help make budgets and learn that kind of stuff. Then we spend about fifteen hours on once house is done and as it's getting done, how do you change the filter on the air conditioner? How do you turn the water off if there's an emergency? Yeah. And those type of things. So we do some homeowner training. Man, that's I mean even that right there, even that part right there Is is way more of a hand up than what a lot of people would probably think of because I know many of people that have no clue how to turn the water off to their home. And I I definitely have experience with you know, you know, you know, Michelle owns some rental places, my wife owns some rental places, and years ago she finally made the decision that she's going to change all the air filters because we couldn't k we couldn't ensure that the renters would change the air filters, which is fine because they just don't know. Yeah. Yeah. They just don't know. They don't know or they don't know what size. A lot of them don't know is the flow direction. Yeah. You put it in backwards you got a problem, you know. So yeah, that's a a major thing. And we put shutoffs inside if a hot wire here it kills the whole house. And we make it easy for we tag it, but they still need to know. Yeah. They know what to do. We give a book with the listing of everybody putting anything in. Like night mechanicals listed. Mhm. So if they have a problem, they at least know who to start with, where to go. Wow. See that's so awesome because we have, you know at work we'll have somebody come in and they'll they'll be like, hey, I bought this, you know, I think this light fixture might have come from you or whatever, but I don't know. And I'm kinda surprised at how many builders won't give that information and just supply it. So it's awesome that you guys are doing that for these habitat customers. We tried to supply where it came from and the and the stock number or mile number. Yeah. So if they need to go back. And anytime there's a warranty book or an owner's manual, we put that in a book for them. And our guys that do that will kinda over at that instruction book or warranty book and kinda let know what's going on. Nice. Yeah, so When you guys are building a house, how much of I'm gonna say the material that goes into that house comes from direct donations, meaning like you mentioned, night mechanical versus money that's brought in at the store level. Boy, it's a hard question to answer 'cause every house is different. Of course. Now we get the the H V A C on the last five houses free and Committed to the next three for us. sometimes Lowe's will give us some lumber, Lesberry cuts us some good deals on lumber. And we have people come in and just say, here, spend this five thousand dollars on buying two before framing. But it varies with each house. So let's say about thirty five percent of it's donated. Wow. And then the other sixty-five is coming from what comes through the store. Through the store or fundraisers we do. We do we try to do a couple small fundraisers a year too. But the store is key. For us being built houses. Well, I know you know this, that even though our stores in Bowling Green, we actually donate more to your store when we're donating items than we do to the Bowling Green store. And it's not like I don't like the Bowling Green store. Guys, if y'all are watching this, don't think it's not 'cause I don't love y'all. It's just that I know that they get more things because there's more population in Warren County than you guys get. And, you know, so I just I like to share the things and I just know that you guys have a a little bit more need in your store than the Bowling Green store does. There is a great need because as you say we're a smaller base. We don't have the large businesses that donate like they do down there. A and businesses are good. Motels when they redo, yeah they donate to us. When the banks close down they donate a bunch of file cabinets, so they do. But there's just not the volume here that there is in Bowling Green. And your all's donations help greatly. well I appreciate that. I hope they do. That's all I can ever hope is, you know. matter of fact I need to be scheduling, calling and scheduling with the store. We got another pickup coming up soon. Neither here nor there, but anyway. so let me just let me just tell you what I was talking about. Your donations are great help not only putting lights in the house, but making money for the next house. And when I do go to your store, your your counterpeople are just terrific. thank you. I appreciate that. We do, we got a really great staff. I mean, that's it's taken it has taken a little while over the years. We had some some not so great, but that's just the way it goes, you know. You gotta now we got a staff that's amazing. So it top to bottom, our delivery guys are great, counter guys are great, you know, the showroom. But anyway, that's not what we're here to talk about. We're here to talk about habitat. So can you tell people how hard it is to donate to habitat? it's terribly hard. Just come in the store and bring us a check or some cash or call the store and say you get some furniture or refrigerator or whatever you want to donate and we'll come out and pick it up. Yeah, that's the thing that I think a lot of people really don't know, even if they've heard it, that you guys pick up. Pick up and deliver. That yeah, and yeah, I forgot about the delivery part. but I think people just really don't don't pay attention to that because you guys have not only come to our store a it it you know Win Electric and Bowling Green at least six times over the last four years, you've been to my house twice in the last two years to pick stuff up. I mean it's it's so easy to donate to you guys and sometimes it just about breaks my heart if I go to to the dump to take stuff you know to the dump. And I see things people throw in the dump. And I have literally said, I told my wife, I said, I wish and I've been meaning to actually talk to you about this, as you I've not talked to you about this before. here we go. But I w you know, there's a road right as you go into the dump. There's a little gravel drive right next. And sometimes you'll just see one of their employee park vehicles park there. And and I've told her, I said, I wish Habitat would just park a truck there or a trailer and start maybe every Saturday saying Anything that's lightly used or whatever or something. Or maybe somebody would donate you another trailer and it you know, because stuff gets dumped there that shouldn't be in the dump, in the landfill. Yeah, a lot of people tell take perfectly good stuff we could resell. Yeah. That's a good idea. I have to look at that. Yeah. But I mean it'd have it would require you to have another vehicle or a trailer of some sort, and then somebody would probably have to man it. And I get it. It's maybe you could get some people to you know, donate time and volunteer. So what I need to do is find somebody with a trailer that donate time and be there on Saturdays. What time can you be there? I'm I was the idea guy, Steve. We got people who probably do that. We already do. I mean I I one time I won I you know, but there I know there's laws and rules and regulations about once something enters the dump, crosses that line but I've literally thought about times about saying, Hey, you know, habitats just A couple of miles away. You know. But you got that's a really good idea. I need to plummer on that and see what we can do. Yeah. 'Cause there's a lot of good stuff gold dump. I there is There is, there is. I mean, I I've bought stuff from Habitat myself that somebody else probably could have you know, would have thrown away or something. And I'm like, I I mean matter of fact, tell a little story here. we've bought stuff from Habitat. And ended up bringing it back to habitat for you guys to resell. I've seen that cardbill with you. It's never immediate, but like four or five years later. Yeah. I I actually we redid the kitchen in one of Michelle's rental places and we found a set of cabinets with you guys and we're like, my gosh, this is gonna be great and we took it and of course you always have to manipulate and make make it fit in and whatever and we brought like three pieces back out of the like, you know, dozen pieces that we bought, like same day to back to you guys and donated it back. So y'all just resold it again. It's amazing stuff you see, I'll tell you kind of a side story. When my mother died we had to kind of a yard sale and sold a bunch of stuff. Yeah, I didn't pay a lot of attention. My sister kind of took care of that. And we sold all this stuff. Alright, about five years later, we had some little bookends made, like you make in shop class. Mm-hmm. And one of the guys hollered and said, Why is your name on this of bookends? Somebody donated back the bookends I'd made for my mom in shop class. That we sold at Yarsa, I didn't realize we sold Wow. Yeah, so they're they're at my house now. Are you? I thought that's kinda neat stuff. Yeah. That's really cool though, because you know it's almost like a full circle kind of thing. Yeah. Yeah, that's really cool. Talking about donation too, you don't have to be in Barron County to donate to us, as you were just pointing out. We get a lot of pickups from Metcalf County, Hart County. We go over to the lodge at Jamestown real often. Dare County. We go to Dare County. Okay. We don't like going to Louisville. Just because it takes so much time, but we have been in Louisville for a big peek off time or two before. Wow, wow. So if somebody were looking to see if they were available to be in to to purchase a habitat home, what is the process or maybe the go to website or you know what is the process for them to start to learn about that? First thing to do right now is go to the email address HFH At Glasgow, hyphen KY dot com and send us a note they're interested. Okay. Then we'll send them a package to look at, kinda got some of the rules and all. And if they're eligible and they won't like what they see, reach back out and we'll meet with you and discuss it one on one. Yeah. If we think you cooperate with giving the application and start the application process. Yeah, and again, and you know, not to belabor the point, but It is a hand up and and there is a lot of sweat equity that's required on that. Sweat equity and you have to have some kinda income. Right. You can't come to us and make a hundred dollars a month and we're gonna put you in house. You it's your house. The day we finish it we sign that house over to you. So you've got to be able to make payments now or small payments, but you still gotta be able to make Sure. So yeah, there's a there's few little requirements, but like on the credit checks we don't look near as hard as the government requires the bank to look. So You've had a little problem here or there. We can kind of work around and you know. Yeah. So this may not be the nicest question to ask, I don't know, but I'm gonna ask it anyway. What is the success rate of people being in habitat home? Phrase that a little bit different. You mean once they get a house? Yeah, once they're in of them being able to stay in. Almost a hundred percent. Since I've been with them. That's what I was hoping to Okay. I was hoping I wasn't asking a question that wouldn't turn out too good. Since I've been with we we've had a a homeowner die. Mm and so we got that house back through the cell, their daughter sold it and we got the money back on that. And we did have to go after one that Berkswell had done when we inherited Berksle. Mm. but it worked out good 'cause she wound up getting a loan getting a house anyway. But basically and most of the time after our training and all, we'd only have late payments. the they might hit a one late but it they catch it up. So it really don't end up with late payments anyway. I mean like I had late payment, well, I shouldn't say that. My wife had one in the grace period and she about she about went into an anxiety fit over it. She's like, I made a house payment and the late I'm like, that's what the grace period's for, you know. But Well we're doing now is requiring you to have a bank count and the first two years we draft out your bank count. Mm. Because people A of these people don't have checking accounts. True. So we have to educate on that and all. And they simply were forgetting. And I call and say, Hey, what about your house payment? I'll bring it right to you. I don't mean they bring it right to the office, you know. which we're not supposed to do, it goes to Kentucky housing. But we started that and and almost everybody starts that once two years gets here and they could take it off, they just leave it on there. They just love it, you know. Well, I mean, it kinda seems like you know, it kinda makes sense if you've never had a house payment. It's just not something you're used to doing. That's a big change. Yeah, big change. Yeah. Well I tell ya, I I'm just you know, hopefully y you already know this, but I'm such a big fan of what you guys do. you know, which is why we like to donate to you guys, in particular and again I love the Bowling Green people too. You know, I don't I've donated to them, but I just kinda donate to them about one out of every four times that we So we but we need to help and the Bon Greeks got a great crew, they really do. Yeah. Yeah, but we appreciate everything you do and we're really gonna appreciate Sarities. Yeah. Not not not sure not sure myself be real happy about me donating my every Saturday. I had my honey do list to get backed up, Steve. try to get me in trouble. That was a real good idea. I'm on. Go down top of the dump and look for idea seems easy but it won't be I know it won't be that straightforward, but most most everything isn't as straightforward as you'd think it would be. You know, that's kind of the problem today. There are so many ESF regulations and all we have to go around Yeah. It really kind of creates a hardship. Yeah. You're just trying to help somebody and you have to jump through so much red tape to get to it. But it's like there's something that's happened along the way that's caused that tape to be put there. And so it's like, you know, you understand why if you really get into the weeds of it, but it still just makes it hard. Yeah. And it's for our protection too. I understand that, but but talking about making it hard, what's not hard is donating to habitat for humanity, guys. They take monetary donations. they definitely take material donations. Again, I've personally have donated to them. We donate about once every six months to you guys. It may just be a small trailer load, but sometimes it ends up being what seems like about a half a truckload when y'all come and pick up. And I we're glad to do so because we know it goes to a good cause. Steve, what is the phone number and the location for habitat here in Barron County? Location's five six West Main Street. And I'm old so I'm gonna look the phone number up. No. Well, you're at the store, so you don't have to. I never called the store, yeah. Yeah. They call you, I guarantee you. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. But my phone number, anybody can feel free to call me. It's 270-576-6427. I don't answer all the time, but leave me a message and I'll get back to you. Yeah. Feel free to call me. and then you can't find it in that something. That's all right. We do got the We do got the Google machine we can use. It's two seven six two nine five seven seven five. Two seven six two nine five seven seven five. Do you know if there one last question, do you know if there is anything in particular that you guys might be in need of right now? Maybe for a new build you got coming up, that's underway. Gotcha. So any building material or cash is always nice. we have people bringing skiff cards for loads and lots of times. And that's really nice. Wow. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Do you you know what? I said last question, I got one more. Do you take like I'm gonna say come on, coal. Do you take like coal lumber from job sites? Like like if somebody like if I've got a builder in Bowling Green and you they always end up with a bunch of coal lumber. Do you take coal lumber for We do some. We used to take a lot or you tore our house down, we go with over but that got to be so time consuming that it just really wasn't worth it. Well that's what I was wondering because you know, I I thought that would probably cause there's a reason it's cold to begin with. So you don't want to use bad lumber on your site. Yeah, you know. So okay, I just wanted to question that real quick. One last thing we will take is your volunteer hours. We can use it on the Bill site, we'll train you a little bit and teach you or if you got some experience Come help us build. Yeah, and at the store too. Y'all take volunteers at the store. Volunteers at the store too, yes. Yep. Could be setting out stuff, pricing things. There's all kinds of needs there as well. Help helping helping people load things up sometimes. We have some seniors that come just answer the phone and you can't believe what a blessing that is. Because that phone rings all the time. Right. And there's somebody there just to answer it, daycade, get a first ring or two. Yeah. And that's very nice. Well, that's awesome. Well, Steve, thanks for joining us today. Always a great pleasure. Guy first off, I don't know if y'all know this, but Steve's a liar cause he just said it's a great pleasure joining me. And I know that's not the truth. Nah. Like mentioned before, we've known each other for about 30 years now. At least, yeah. Yeah. And I feel bad for you from for that. But guys, we appreciate you joining us. Hopefully you found out some good information. And please, you know, if you have something that lightly used, new or what have you that you feel like has got some more life in it. Take it to Habitat or call they'll come pick it up. And as always, we appreciate you joining us for What's Up with Wind Electric.