Although the PEC is leaning toward the idea of building a new home, it could decide to renovate an existing structure instead
By John Tredrea
The Pennington Ecumenical Coalition (PEC) says it wants to work with Habitat for Humanity to build or rehabilitate an affordable home for a low-income family to buy in the Pennington or Hopewell Township area.
Since it was formed three years ago, the PEC has built a Habitat for Humanity home on North Clinton Avenue in Trenton and done restorative work at the Bethel AME (African Methodist Episcopalian) Church in Pennington.
"We’ve very enthusiastic about trying to build another house here in the local area," Kevin Byrnes, a deacon at St. James Roman Catholic Church in Pennington who is active in the PEC, told the Pennington Borough Council on Aug. 5.
"We have a fair amount of construction expertise in the coalition," Mr. Byrnes said. "We’d like to start work on this new project in the fall of 2003. First we’d have to identify a suitable parcel of land."
(Habitat for Humanity International in a nonprofit Christian organization that uses volunteer labor and donated money and materials to build affordable housing for low-income families. The families who buy Habitat homes are given no-interest mortgages and are required to put in hundreds of hours of labor called "sweat equity" into the construction of their new home.)
Mr. Byrnes indicated that, although the PEC is leaning toward the idea of building a new home, it could decide to renovate an existing structure instead.
"Money for construction will be solicited through donations from PEC member churches, as was done for the Trenton Habitat home," Mr. Byrnes said. "The PEC currently has a cash reserve of $10,000 from fund-raising activities associated with the Trenton Habitat for Humanity Home on North Clinton Avenue."
He said the PEC would request the Trenton Affiliate of the Habitat for Humanity to work with the PEC as a partner on the construction project eyed for the borough or township. "The PEC will work with Habitat’s existing expertise in construction, architecture, family selection and other support activities," Mr. Byrnes said.
The member organizations of the PEC are the Bethel AME Church of Pennington, First Baptist Church of Pennington, Pennington Presbyterian Church, St. James Roman Catholic Church, St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church, the United Methodist Church of Pennington and The Pennington School.
At the Aug. 5 council meeting, council members told Mr. Byrnes they would consider the PEC proposal.
Between November 1999 and May 2000, the PEC raised more than $60,000 and recruited more than 50 volunteers for construction of the home in Trenton. The home, at 334 North Clinton Ave., was built between September 2000 and February 2001, under the leadership of PEC construction coordinator Joseph Mutinksy and the Trenton affiliate of Habitat for Humanity.
Mr. Mutinsky also supervised the restorative work at the Bethel AME Church in Pennington. Done in four weekends, the job included restoration of walls, ceilings and lighting.