San Gabriel Valley Habitat for Humanity Thursday, Oct. 16, began framing the walls for what will be the new home of Kenneth and Carol Wood, an Altadena couple who lived in the community for more than 40 years before the Eaton fire destroyed their home and the homes of their adult children.
It’s the first home Habitat for Humanity will rebuild in Altadena since the fire.
While a series of speakers that included Rep. Judy Chu, D-Pasadena, spoke Thursday morning about the impact of the milestone, a small team of construction workers began prepping the first phase of construction.
Wong said there’s no time to waste for what Habitat’s goals.
“As you can tell, construction crew doesn’t really care what we do, they’re moving forward,” Wong said. “The reason why is we’ve got a really tight schedule. It is our goal to make sure that they are home for the holidays.”
Starting Thursday until Saturday afternoon the construction team and volunteers will be setting up pre-built walls, installing the roof framing and plywood sheeting on the walls.
Kenneth Wood knew people were going to come out to help build his new home but seeing them in action Thursday filled him with appreciation.
“It’s like something that I had heard that would happen, but I’d never seen it,” Wood said. “It’s one thing to hear it and something else to see it and so it’s almost beyond words.”
Wood said living at the foot of the San Gabriel Mountains for more than 40 years went beyond his dreams as a child of just being able to see mountains someday.
“I didn’t know if I’d ever live here again,” Wood said. “So to be here, I call it a dream come true.”
Carol Wood said the goal from the beginning was to stay and rebuild in Altadena.
“I don’t know anywhere else I want to go, that was the thought,” Wood said. “Now, how it was going to be possible is another story, but as far as our wish, our hearts were to stay in Altadena.”
That’s where Habitat came into play. The Wood home is the first of 25 rebuilds with the goal of being completed in the next 12 months, Wong said. The Altadena Builds Back Foundation, a creation of the Pasadena Community Foundation, is funding 22 of the 25 rebuilds thanks to a $4.55 million grant.
Wong said while the first batch of homes being rebuild is a start, it’s not enough.
“We need to be doing 25 houses a month,” Wong said. “We need to get things geared up, we need to build things up. Only with all of your support that we will get there. It’ll take us a little while to ramp up but we will get there.”
Construction Director Brian Stanley walked a group of about 60 volunteers through the safety procedures on the work site. Stanley said despite Mother Nature and some mishaps getting all the materials to Altadena putting them a few days behind schedule, the Habitat team would not be deterred.
“This is the last of the old-fashioned barn raisings right where the community gets together, volunteers just to help out,” Stanley said.
Habitat will need about 60 volunteers every day until the target date of completion — around the week of Thanksgiving.
As the frames of the home’s walls were stood up, Stanley said the foundations of future home rebuilds were being laid around Altadena.
Victoria Knapp encouraged the gathered volunteers by explaining the gravity of the work they were about to undertake.
“Your work here matters,” Knapp said. “It matters to me and it matters to Altadena and it matters to the Wood family. So, with that, let’s get building.”
Nonprofit organization Foothill Catalog Foundation helped design the building plans for the Wood’s home and for some of the other planned rebuilds in coordination with Habitat for Humanity.
The catalog includes pre-approved home designs for fire survivors to pick from to speed up the rebuilding process and make it more affordable. The Wood family project is a three-bedroom, two-bathroom 1,160- square-foot home. In the catalog, their home design is called “The Lewis.”
Stanley said prior construction experience is not necessary to be a Habitat volunteer.
“Our staff acts as teachers through the process, and we provide the tools and we do everything we can to keep them safe and so it’s on the job training so to speak,” Stanley said. “So just enthusiastic willingness to help the community is what is really needed.”
Wong said people can help Habitat reach its goals through volunteering their time, money or materials and can visit sgv.habitat.org for more information. He said it’s not too late for fire survivors to apply for the rebuilding program.
“We’re beginning to see the light,” Carol Wood said. “At first it’s like everything is gone, everything is dark, what do we do, where to we go? You just feel out of it. To see everyone working together, coming together to help us it’s so wonderful.”