With snow in the forecast this week, crews are working hard on a housing project to provide shelter for low-income families in Lakeside.

Seven AmeriCorps participants in the National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) program went to work last week on a collaboration with Habitat for Humanity. Together, the groups will put together two townhomes and three standalone homes in and around Lakeside.

“We’re just hoping to get everything out before the heavy weather, really,” said Kaidy Li, one of the seven AmeriCorps members working on the project.

Right now, Li and the rest of the crew are working on scaffolding and roofing at the five residences. Their program runs through March 2021. By then, they hope at least a few of the homes will be move-in ready.

After that, the plan is for another incoming group of volunteers to pick up where the current cohort leaves off.

It’s all part of a complex initiative organized by Habitat for Humanity, with the goal to “eliminate substandard housing in the Flathead Valley by providing a hand up, not a handout, to qualified families and individuals.”

Families who qualify for Habitat for Humanity are required to put in 500 hours of “sweat equity” by doing hands-on construction work alongside the volunteers. It’s a new experience for most everyone involved.

“Most of us don’t have construction experience,” Li said. “I’ve never used any of these tools before.” But the motto of AmeriCorps NCCC—a volunteer program for young adults ages 18 to 26—is “we’re here to get things done,” and Li said the crew has embraced that attitude. They’re learning home construction on the go and making rapid progress on the five residences. Li pointed out most of the seven members hail from states in the Southern U.S., so the cold and snow present additional challenges to overcome. But AmeriCorps NCCC assigns projects based on where they see the most need, and the members, who are staying in Rollins, are “up for whatever,” according to Li.

“We’re out here because we want to help people,” Li stressed.

Each of the seven members has his or her own motivation for joining the organization, and they all bring different skills and backgrounds to their work.

Li is a rising senior at the University of Texas at Austin. She decided to take a gap year before continuing her education because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Though her colleagues all share her passion for helping others, their experiences couldn’t be more diverse. For instance, there’s college graduate Robbie Gaines, who recently returned from a two-year stint serving with the Peace Corps in Botswana. He hopes his NCCC experience will prove valuable in the future as he pursues his Master’s degree in Humanitarian Action and Refugee Crises.

Gaines is working hand-in-hand with Berdie Bailey, an Ethiopian adoptee who recently graduated high school. Bailey said she decided to join NCCC “to help me find my passion.”

The varied experiences under each member helps the group step up to new challenges.

“We’re getting a lot of things done,” Li said.

Those interested in helping with the project should contact Habitat for Humanity of Flathead Valley at (406) 257-8800.

Reporter Bret Anne Serbin may be reached at (406)-758-4459 or bserbin@dailyinterlake.com.