Vicki Gutgesell and Lucia Bennhoff
Vicki and Lucia have been faithful members of the Fruitvale Mid-Week crew, completing well over 150 hours each of volunteer service. We are pleased to have Vicki and Lucia’s help with the construction of the four homes on Fruitvale Avenue in Oakland.
Vicki Gutgesell
How long have you been with East Bay Habitat?
Since the beginning of the Fruitvale project in January 2003.
What brought you to Habitat?
I thought that it would be a fun way to learn how to build a house and to do something worthwhile for the community at the same time.
Can you recount a funny story that has occurred on the construction site?
Well, Joel (former AmeriCorps-site assistant) did turn up with blue hair one day...
What motivates you to continue to volunteer with Habitat?
It is fun to meet and to work with so many wonderful people, and it is for such a good cause. I am really interested in seeing the completed project.
What have been your most memorable experiences on the job site?
Trying to dig drainage ditches through rock hard dirt and trying to remove foundation supports in the mud and rain.
If you could be any tool on the construction site what tool would you be?
A dry wall hammer. They are lightweight and have a nice shape.
Lucia Bennhoff
How long have you been with East Bay Habitat?
Since the beginning of
the four houses on Fruitvale broke ground in January.
What bought you to Habitat?
I had volunteered some ten years ago and
when my friend Vicki said she would like to volunteer at the Fruitvale
houses I said I would like to do it with her. I believe in the goals of
Habitat as well as enjoy the participation.
Can you recount a funny story that has occurred on the construction site?
I can think of the work assignment on the job that I look back on
with humor. Vicki and I were removing the wooden forms from the concrete
foundation. This turned out to be quite a chore. The winter rains had made
the dirt back-fill into pure mud. The back fill had covered at least two
inches of the wooden forms. In order to pull the forms off both Vicki and I
would have to pull on the same crowbar. Half the time the board would give
way and we would go splat in the mud. I left the day covered from head to
toe in mud.
What motivates you to continue to volunteer with Habitat?
? I want to see
the houses completed and I enjoy the volunteers and especially the AmeriCorps
young people.
What have been your most memorable experiences on the job site?
Besides
removing the forms from the foundation I would say cutting all the studs for
the Home Depot volunteers to raise the walls for the first floor of one of
the homes.
If you could be any tool on the construction site what tool would you be?
Chop saw. It is a really easy and relatively safe tool that is
perfect for what it does.
