Glacier Nationals Junior Hockey teammates framed the first wall of a Habitat for Humanity of Flathead Valley townhouse last week.

The build site is a development of eight townhouses at Fifth Street West and Seventh Avenue West in Columbia Falls. When completed in early 2015, there will be 16 affordable units for local families.

About 7,000 volunteer hours will go into completing each townhouse.

For Glacier Nationals members, volunteering is just part of the job of being hockey players.

Players volunteer on a regular basis by teaching youths how to play hockey or working with community organizations such as Habitat for Humanity.

Butch Kowalka, assistant coach and general manager of the Nationals, said volunteering is a way for the team to show appreciation.

“Our community has given a lot of support to them, so we’re giving back to the community,” Kowalka said.

He said that the team is always looking for volunteer opportunities when players aren’t on the rink.

“Essentially we have 25 volunteers here from September to March,” Kowalka said.

On Feb. 27, Habitat’s construction manager and site supervisor Steve Tartaglino instructed Glacier Nationals defenseman James Johnstone, 19, on measuring and marking studs.

“We’re big on community,” Johnstone said. “We try to help out as much as we can.”

Tartaglino has been working for Habitat approximately two years and each work day is an opportunity to use his 30-plus years of construction experience teaching volunteers.

“I ran and managed small construction business for a time, I was looking to do something different. I love the teaching role and this job became available it was a great fit,” Tartaglino said. “I can help accomplish a mission I believe in and share my talents.”

Some volunteers have building experience. Johnstone, for example, is a construction worker during the off-season, but volunteers are not required to have prior construction experience.

Of the 7,000 volunteer hours, 500 are sweat equity hours put in by new home owners. Habitat works to help hardworking, low-income families transition out of substandard housing and into home ownership.

New homeowners are selected based on their need, ability to pay a 30-year, no-interest mortgage and willingness to work with Habitat.

Future homeowner 23-year-old Anthony Martinez worked alongside the Glacier Nationals into what will be a future three-bedroom home for his young family, which includes his wife, two sons ages 3 years and 6 months and a 5-year-old daughter.

Martinez never expected to own a home, let alone help build it.

“Not only do you know where little things are like the breaker box, but you can also take away a skill from building your own house,” Martinez said.

To him, it’s the white-picket-fence dream of home ownership come true.

“When you’re trying to raise a family and you’re already young yourself, it’s hard to get anybody to look at you for a home loan,” Martinez said.

For his daughter, it’s a dream of her own princess bedroom. Currently the family lives in a one-bedroom trailer in Coram.

“We already went to Home Depot and she’s got her own little princess theme [picked out] — all the Walt Disney princesses that she wants to put up,” Martinez said.

Habitat for Humanity of the Flathead Valley has built 40 homes since its formation in 1989. Build days are every Wednesday and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

For more information, call 257-8800.

Reporter Hilary Matheson may be reached at 758-4431 or by email at [email protected].