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| Inmates Help Build Waco Home |
| By The Tribune-Herald |
| Published: 01/16/2006 |
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When Sharla McLennan choked up during a ceremony marking the start of construction on her new Texas home Wednesday, several other women at the worksite dabbed tears away as well a remarkable scene considering the women barely know McLennan and currently reside behind the walls of a Gatesville prison unit. Brought together by Waco Habitat for Humanity, McLennan and the women from the Linda Woodman State Jail Unit in Gatesville will be making a little local history over the next few months. Female prisoners have helped with local Habitat projects in the past, but McLennan's house will mark the first time they provide the bulk of labor to build a home, said Habitat executive director John Alexander. “It's our chance to celebrate the prison partnership,” Alexander said. “It's a real rewarding experience for us to work with these ladies.” The local Habitat chapter started working with the prison unit five years ago, Alexander said. Habitat for Humanity International has a partnership program with prisons and that is how the connection happened, he said. Traditionally, prison officials have brought eight to 10 women to Waco twice a week to work on Habitat projects, which provide low-cost homes to families in need. Although the women played an important role, their work was mainly a supplement to what was done on the weekends by other volunteers, Alexander said. For McLennan's house, however, Habitat will limit weekend work sessions, Alexander said. That way, the women inmates can do most of the construction themselves, he said. Habitat decided to make the change, Alexander said, because it wanted to give the women more experience in all aspects of home building. The arrangement should also help Habitat build more homes this year, he said, since it's usually difficult to get volunteers on weekdays. From the women's perspective, the change is also a positive thing. All are low-risk offenders who have exhibited good behavior, and the chance to travel outside prison walls is something they look forward to. The home-cooked lunches provided by local churches make the trips even more enticing. Several of the women said they are glad to learn skills that might translate into a job after they are released. Among the things they have been taught so far by Habitat officials are plumbing, siding, insulation, painting and wiring. But the most important thing, several of the women said, is that they are getting a chance to give back to the community. “I like putting my free time into something that does good for somebody else,” said Eddie Johnson, a 38-year-old inmate from the Whitney area. When the home is completed, it will be about 1,070 square feet with three bedrooms and one bathroom. McLennan, who is 41 years old and works as a cell assembler for a company that makes aircraft batteries, will live there with her two daughters, ages 10 and 24. McLennan, who is living in an apartment, said one of the things she is most looking forward to is having a yard for her daughter and a big front porch for herself. McLennan is also excited about being back in her old neighborhood. The site of her new house is in the 800 block of Dawson Street, just a few blocks away from her mother's home in East Waco. “I feel so blessed,” McLennan said. |
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