Christmas in America – A Montana House Raising

 

HousingraisinginmontanaWhile the world tends to only report that bad, I found this wonderful story about a town rallying around a family who lost their house in a fire three weeks ago. Now they have new home and a new life.

Angels descended on Ken and Jodi Gardner’s piece of paradise last weekend, clad in Carhartt coveralls and tool belts.

They came to build not just a house but a home, to replace what the Gardner family lost three weeks ago in a fire.

The old-fashioned house-raising began at 7:30 a.m. last Friday. By noon, around 50 people were cutting lumber, setting beams and standing interior walls.

Amid the humming generators, buzzing saws and the THWACK! of nail guns, the volunteer construction crews scurried about like a fast-forward version of the popular television show “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.”

By noon Monday, after about 40 hours of work, the walls were painted, the interior doors were hung and the floors were being swept in anticipation of the arrival of the first load of furniture.

“We have beds with drawers underneath them for the kids, and a crib that somebody got for their little girl and she never even slept in it,” Jodi Gardner said with a shy smile, an air of disbelief still hanging around her. “I had four couches to choose from — people donated 11, and not one was orange flowered. Somebody donated an oak table that seats six, and someone else donated six oak chairs.”  via the Helena Independent Record.

Posted December 24, 2006 by
Main | 6 comments


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  • Comments

    6 Responses to “Christmas in America – A Montana House Raising”

    1. Miss-Underestimated on December 24th, 2006 11:32 am

      God Bless the Gardner’s and those who gave so willingly.

      Merry Christmas to everyone,

    2. Kat_Gram on December 24th, 2006 11:57 am

      It is always heartwarming to read these types of stories.
      Merry Christmas to All.
      And Peace in the New Year.

    3. MOLLY on December 24th, 2006 12:31 pm

      It is great, however we had a family in my town who had
      a home built by “extreme makeover”. They had to pay taxes
      on the value as income. They had to file bankruptcy and
      lost the house. So Merry Christmas for a few weeks anyway.
      Perhaps some rich person will pay their taxes.

    4. vicki on December 24th, 2006 1:39 pm

      Molly you read the story wrong, honey, this was not the show”extreme makeover” it was volunteers doing this act of kindness. God bless ppl with such kind sharing spirits and this is the true story of Christmas. Please give Natalees family and friends peace this season and answers in 2007.

    5. MOLLY on December 24th, 2006 3:55 pm

      thanks Vicki. and Merry Christmas. I am so happy for them.

    6. mayan_moons on December 26th, 2006 7:34 pm

      I’m so happy their neighbor’s pitched in together for the family whose by rebuilding a home, they made the most devasting time in that family’s life bearable. I have a soft heart for deeds like this & the people behind them.

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