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Arkansas First Lady Janet Huckabee talks with guests at the El Dorado
Habitat for Humanity 10th year anniversary dinner. |
Arkansas' first lady celebrates with local Habitat
By JANICE McINTYRE
El Dorado News-Times
"I wouldn't trade anything for my Habitat experiences," said Arkansas first lady Janet Huckabee, during the El Dorado Habitat for Humanity Chapter's celebration and appreciation dinner Thursday night.
As co-chairman of the First Ladies Build, a program of Habitat, Huckabee has led governors' wives throughout the United States as they build homes for families and children.
The celebration and appreciation dinner was held to recognize Habitat's 10 years of existence in El Dorado as they near the completion of their 19th home. Construction will begin on the 20th home this fall in Norphlet - the first one to be built outside of El Dorado. The El Dorado chapter was the first one organized in the state.
Rod Harrington, chairman of the El Dorado Habitat board of directors, told those gathered for the celebration in the Family Life Center of First Baptist Church that about 100 people, including 60 children, are now living in homes in El Dorado that have been built by Habitat volunteers.
Harrington thanked volunteers for their efforts to provide affordable, decent homes for children and families and a special award was presented to Murphy Oil Corporation and their employees for donating over $20,000 since the program began locally. Steve Cosse, senior vice president of Murphy Oil, accepted the award.
Harrington thanked members of the Carpenters Club, Covenant churches, local merchants, members of the board, Sue Ellen Dillard, executive director, and all the volunteers who helped build homes, prepared food for the workers and assisted with the program in numerous ways throughout the years.
"I love visiting El Dorado, but I can't stand the drive here," Huckabee
said as she smiled and was quick to point out, "I can't do anything about
highways."
"I've traveled the United States building houses for Habitat and I know just enough about construction to be dangerous," she smiled. Stating that building homes for communities, families and children is "therapy," Huckabee said, "Nobody should have to live in an unsafe or improper house.
"We've completed two First Ladies Builds - one in Little Rock and one in Benton," she said, adding, "women just have more fun. It may take more of us to build a house and it might take us a little longer, but we have more fun," she smiled.
Huckabee's involvement with Habitat has been on a multi-faceted level, from organization and fund raising to the actual construction of houses. In addition to the First Ladies Build program, Huckabee serves on the Habitat for Humanity International Women's Build Steering Council. She explained that the mission is to "recruit and train women to build and maintain simple, decent, healthy and affordable homes."
She told those at the appreciation dinner that in March of 1999, she traveled to the Philippines to participate in the annual Jimmy Carter Work Project. Huckabee joined with 14,000 other volunteers from around the world to build 293 homes for Filipino families in need.
"If you ever participate in a Habitat build, you'll be hooked - it gets in your blood. One of the great things about Habitat is that every man and every woman can find something to do," Huckabee said.
She said she hopes that "all who come behind us will find us faithful" and encouraged all who participate in Habitat projects in El Dorado to "keep up the good work."
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