A little help from your friends; 70 volunteers help build ‘sweat equity’ homes

r By Julie Applegate, Self-Help HomesrA large group of volunteers from a local manufacturing company pitched in Oct. 12 to help several families build their own homes in Payson.

Five families were working on their new homes in the Cowan Corner Subdivision in Payson and the dozens of volunteers are expected to have a huge impact on the project.

The families are performing the majority of labor on their own new houses – part of a Mutual Self-Help Housing program run through Self-Help Homes.

“Building your own home is tough, working with your neighbors to build five homes is even tougher,“ Self-Help Homes Construction Manager Josh Walker said.

To join the program, a small group of qualified families or individuals commit to providing at least 35 hours each week until everyone’s house is completed, a process that can take up to a year.

Between jobs, children and everyday life, it takes a huge effort for the families to complete the homes, and every little bit of help gets them closer to their goal of finishing up.

“I expect the volunteers from Progress Manufacturing to effectively save these five families close to 500 hours of “sweat equity” on their homes,” Walker said.

The homes are being built through the Mutual Self-Help Housing program which is administered by Self-Help Homes, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization based in Provo. Funding to administer the program comes from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development; likewise, home loans are provided by the agency.

Progress Manufacturing employees are excited to be participating in the volunteer outing, company spokesperson Sadie Nilsson said. Many of the employees have construction experience, which will help the work go quickly.

“We’ve always committed part of Progress’s net income to helping those in need,” Progress Manufacturing CEO Jed Anderson said. “The desire to serve is a natural part of all of us. We want to help people close to home and across the world. Our company works not only to provide the best towing products but to help people in other ways as well. We love letting our team members be involved in service that leaves a legacy of good.”

Progress Mfg. Inc. places great importance on serving the community and leaving a legacy of good, Nilsson said. It has been a part of the company’s mission statement for years: “It is the mission of Progress Mfg. to be a company where we work in a way that empowers us to provide for our families, serve the Lord, and leave a legacy of good.”rProgress Manufacturing Inc. is located at 353 S. 1100 West in Provo. The company has been in business for 70 years and manufactures vehicle hitches and ball mounts. For more information, see the company’s website at http://progressmfg.com/

Self-Help Homes is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization based in Provo. More than 400 homes have been facilitated throughout Utah through the organization’s Mutual Self-Help Housing program; another 25 are currently under construction.

Self-Help Homes is a United Way organization and has partnered with multiple non-profit and local, state and federal governments organizations such as the Housing Assistance Council in Washington DC, Provo City, Utah and Wasatch counties, the State of Utah, Housing and Urban Development and U.S.D.A.’s Rural Development to complete affordable housing projects.

For more information about participating in a Self-Help housing program or volunteering on a project, contact Self-Help Homes by calling 801-375-2205 or visiting the Self-Help Homes website at www.selfhelphomes.org.