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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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