Three reasons to celebrate

Bryce Alderton

Mikey Samuelson leaned against the doorway to his new bedroom,

grinning.

With a faint smell of paint in the air, the rest of the Samuelson

family gleefully checked out their new 1,272-square-foot, two-story home,

one of three new homes that Habitat for Humanity dedicated on a cool,

blustery and sometimes rainy Sunday afternoon in Costa Mesa.

Choosing from the house’s four bedrooms was fairly painless for the

children, who, along with Mikey, also included Danny, Betsi and Andi.

Mikey took the room the other children didn’t want so it worked out,

said 12-year-old Andi.

“I get the sunset,” she said smiling pointing to her new stomping

grounds facing the west.

The Samuelsons will begin moving in furniture in two weeks and expect

to be in completely by Easter break, father Dan Samuelson said.

“That’s when the [children] have time off from school,” he said.

Their paprika--colored house marks a first for Habitat for Humanity.

It’s the group’s first home in Orange County to be entirely built by a

primarily female crew.

Elizabeth Mahoney, chairwoman of Women Build, was one of those crew

members who began working on the project when it began in June, spending

her Saturdays hammering nails, pouring concrete and painting the trim.

“[Women Build] has built a fabulous house for Dan and the [children],”

Mahoney said.

Women Build gives women the opportunity to learn new skills in

construction and work with other women, though men make up about 20% of

the Women Build team. Habitat for Humanity’s volunteer work force is

comprised of 50% women.

In April 2000, a Women Build committee was formed to begin

fund-raising about $70,000 to build the home. Interest grew and there are

now more than 700 women on the mailing list.

“[Women Build] takes the uncertainty out of building so women can

become scaffolding experts and siding experts,” Mahoney said.

Though Sunday was the dedication, it will be another two weeks before

the homes are completely finished, said Kevin Ingersoll, the full-time

site superintendent. Finishing touches to landscaping and the kitchens

still need to get done, Ingersoll said.

Construction on Habitat’s three newest homes along Del Mar Avenue

began in June, bringing its total to 90 homes since its inception in

Orange County in 1988. Habitat has now built five homes in Costa Mesa.

About 500 volunteers built the three newest homes, said Jim LeSieur,

chairman of Habitat for Humanity of Orange County.

“There’s been a tremendous amount of energy from the very beginning,”

LeSieur said. “The three unique sponsors are wonderful to work with. The

families are very involved working, if not every Saturday, most

Saturdays.”

Families chosen to purchase a Habitat home must contribute 500 hours

of labor, dubbed “sweet equity,” by building their own home, helping

another Habitat family build their home or working in another area of the

organization.

Habitat uses nongovernmental donations of materials, professional

services and volunteer labor to build homes sold to qualified low-income

families for a 1% down payment and a no-interest mortgage.

* Bryce Alderton is the news assistant. He may be reached at (949)

574-4298 or by e-mail at o7 bryce.alderton@latimes.comf7 .