Habitat builds home for volunteer

A learning disability prevented 37-year-old Chris Schaaf from owning a home of his own. But on Saturday, despite his disability, Schaff will move into a financially-assisted apartment.

Habitat for Humanity of Monroe County, in partnership with the Kelley Institute of Social Impac, and the Whirlpool Corporation, is building Schaaf a home.

Schaaf’s home will come furnished and subsidized so it is below market cost, said his mother, Linda Schaaf. He will purchase it from Habitat for Humanity and will be independently responsible for the mortgage and utility payments.

Linda said it was her son’s idea to purchase a home, and it was he who pursued it.
“One day we were walking down the street toward his job, and there were people handing out Habitat flyers, and Chris mentioned that he wanted a house for himself,” she said. “Then he mentioned it again and again, and we realized he’s really serious. We need to make this happen.”

Schaaf decided to apply for Habitat for Humanity’s home ownership program and was accepted in September. As a Habitat for Humanity requirement, Schaaf began taking home-ownership classes to teach him about basic repair, mortgage and financial obligations.

Schaaf is a champion golfer in the state Special Olympics and now has a job bagging groceries at Marsh, as well as a volunteer position at the Habitat for Humanity warehouse.

The build is one of 10 to 15 similar projects per year that Habitat for Humanity organizes in Monroe County.

“We have staff direction, but our builds are run, completed and led by volunteer efforts,” said Kerry Thomson, president and CEO of Habitat for Humanity of Monroe County.

This particular build has included more than 350 student volunteers who work half-day shifts around their classes, Thomson said.

The build was scheduled to be completed in nine days beginning on Sep. 12 and ending on Sep. 21. Volunteers worked every day from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Once the house is complete, it will be moved to a permanent location in north Bloomington.

The volunteers, the vast majority of them graduate or undergraduate students in the Kelley School of Business, were encouraged to participate through the Kelley Institute of Social Impact. Institute Co-Director Kathleen Robbins said the Institute has been sending out emails and participating in volunteer fairs to attract students.

“The opportunity and the desire to participate in service projects has greatly increased in recent years,” Robbins said.

Robbins said because of the high interest, the number of student volunteers was capped at 350.

The volunteers participating in the event had the chance to build the houses, participate in a service opportunity and meet people from the business community.

“For the past year, we have tried a different approach to recruiting than just job fairs,” Whirlpool Recruiting Officer Allison Hogan said. “In addition of the normal fairs, we sponsor projects like this and then bring in company people for the students to meet while they are on breaks. We really stress leaving your tie at home and coming to help out instead.”

Whirlpool donates a stove and refrigerator to every Habitat house in the world.
“It really helps families like the Schaafs’ that their home is move-in ready,” Thomson said.

On Tuesday morning, Schaaf and his parents helped install siding on the house. The Schaaf family has been on-site helping the volunteers throughout the process.

Schaaf walked through the construction site, offering assistance to the builders.

Schaaf’s new house will be dedicated at 5 p.m. Sep. 21. He will be given the keys on the Memorial Stadium field three hours before the kickoff of the football game against the University of Missouri. Linda Schaaf said she and her family feel grateful for the students’ and volunteers’ work on Schaaf’s new home.

“The turnout here has been amazing,” Linda Schaaf said. “We could not have realized this dream without all of these people. They are amazing to work with.”

Schaaf said he would rather people see his success as an ability rather than overcoming a disability.

“We have always pushed him to explore and to see and to do,” Linda Schaaf said. “It is important that Chris be allowed to be whomever he wants to be. Nothing is impossible, and he represents that.”