GLOVERSVILLE - A local woman and her children soon will have the chance to own their own home thanks to the volunteer efforts of community members and a donation to Habitat for Humanity of Fulton County.
Francine Nunziata, who moved to the area from Brooklyn in 2000 and is a sociology student at the State University of New York at Albany, learned about Habitat for Humanity of Fulton County at the group's Railfest booth earlier this year.
She went to the Habitat booth, intending to donate a dollar thinking it was an animal charity group, but instead learned about the organization and how to apply for the program.
Nunziata, who works part time at the Family Counseling Center, said she felt as though she had won the lottery since she couldn't qualify for a conventional mortgage.
She is looking forward to having a yard and garden.
The two-story, three-bedroom, one-bath home at 27 Wilson St. was donated to Habitat earlier this year. On Thursday, the organization began the "demo phase," gutting the inside with the help of a group of Mayfield High School students.
About 16 students from social studies teacher Jennifer Wasserstrom's participation-in-government class were outfitted in face masks, work gloves, boots and hard hats. By the end of the 9 a.m.-to-2 p.m. workday, they were covered in dust and armed with what their teacher said was a valuable lesson.
"I think it's important for kids to see that charity isn't always about giving money. It can also be about giving your time, and that's important to me," Wasserstrom said.
She was pleased to give the students an opportunity to give back in their back yard.
"We have an opportunity to give back to our community right here in Fulton County," Wasserstrom said. "In the past, we had to go to Albany to volunteer."
The students were in good spirits after pulling down ceilings on the first floor, tearing down the walls and hauling out trash bins of debris to a Dumpster in the back yard.
"I think it's a lot of fun. I do this stuff a lot," said Mayfield senior Schuyler Schur.
The house was built in 1914 and had been vacant for a couple years before it was donated by SSP Capital Partners, a property management company from Maryland, said Habitat for Humanity of Fulton County President Evan Horne.
He said the house will have to be redone with new electric, plumbing and siding.
The group is hoping Nunziata and her family can move in by the spring.
"I think it's very exciting to get the project started," said Habitat board member Ruth Mandato.
She said the organization is seeking volunteers of all skill sets, everything from craftsmen to people to work behind the scenes, and even lunch donations for when volunteers are doing the physical work on the house. A volunteer form is on the organization's website at www.hfhfc.com
Habitat is about "giving a hand up, not a hand-out," according to the local group's website.
The program renovates and builds houses using mostly donated labor and materials. The house is then sold to the qualifying family at no interest and no profit.
The family is also required to complete 500 hours of "sweat equity," which can include working on their own home, another Habitat home or other community services.
Nunziata said some of her family who lives in Long Island will travel to Gloversville to help with the hours.
The family's monthly payments will cover any cost of repairing the home or go toward other Habitat housing projects.
The cost for this project is estimated at $40,000. The last project on Pleasant Avenue in Johnstown was completed last year. The Gloversville house is the only one the group is working on now.
