Southern Miss School of Mass Communication and Journalism Blog
Day 5: December 7th, 2009
8:00 a.m. – Just arrived for the morning shift, and the volunteers are still at work despite the rain and 44 degree weather. “The Spirit that Builds” is definitely evident through the volunteers’ hard work and determination to beat the odds and finish this roof on time.
8:33 – The workers fight back the rain, while installing the last pieces of plywood onto the roof. It also appears that all the windows are in! The insulation truck arrives so they must be preparing to blow in the cellulose-type insulation – an energy efficient material that contributes to the green status of the home.
9:30 – Congressman Gene Taylor just arrived! WHLT, USM, WDAM and Hattiesburg American stopped by for interviews. But Taylor is not here just for a photo-op. He is actually going to spend the day working with the construction crew on the house, and he is dressed to do so, wearing blue jeans and a gray sweatshirt covered by his EM: HE T-shirt!! “I’m looking forward to getting out there and actually doing some work,”
He said that he knows Sgt. Heathcock personally, and he seemed genuinely excited to be able to give back to this deserving family. Taylor used phrases such as “a wonderful young man” and “a great citizen” to describe Sgt. Heathcock. “This is incredibly generous,” said Taylor. “It’s wonderful what they are doing for him, and I don’t think anyone is more deserving.”
He noted that almost everyone he knew, including himself, lost their home as a result of Hurricane Katrina. “It gives you a much better appreciation for your home and other people’s homes,” said Taylor. “A lot of people helped me put my house back together, so I wanted to be here to help the sergeant put his house back together.“
“I want to send a message to Sgt. Heathcock that I appreciate him; while he’s gone, we want to be here for his family,” said Taylor. He also noted, “Mississippi can’t help but benefit from this. To see all the thousands of people that are donating the most precious thing they have which is their time, but also the folks that pay for these materials.”
10:15 – The doors are being brought in and a small bulldozer is leveling the dirt around the house. Excess debris and materials are being transported to a nearby dumpster.
10:30 – Congressman Taylor stopped by to drop off his dry socks and change from his muddy Sperrys into a pair of comfy rain boots recently purchased from Wal-Mart. It turns out that the boots were too small; headed back to the store to try for a second pair.
11:00 – Hattiesburg Police Department Major Hardy Sims is over the Hattiesburg officers who have been assigned to the project. “When it was disclosed who the family actually was and we discovered that it was actually a brother, a fellow law enforcement officer, that was the icing on the cake for us,” said Sims.
“It’s a blessing not only for the homeowners, but for the community and it’s a blessing to me to be able to be a part of such an endeavor,” said Sims. It could also potentially bring about similar projects throughout the city each year, he added.
11:10 – Paige Hemmis, one of the EM:HE designers, was last seen entering the front doors of the home, clad in her matching hot pink coat and hard hat.
11:20 – The Hattiesburg mayor is back! He speaks with the head builders from AAA Homes as they gaze over the blueprints of the house.
11:25 – Congressman Taylor spotted in a pair of tall rubber boots. He must’ve been successful on the hunt for a pair that fit!
11:40 – The rain had slacked off, but it is starting up again.
11:50 – “We’re here! We’re wet and we won’t quit!” said John Brown, assistant to the mayor of Hattiesburg, as he entered the VIP tent.
1:00 p.m. – Forrest Country District 1 Supervisor David Hogan stopped by to talk with us in the tent. Coincidentally enough, he said his family purchased the home that the Heathcocks live in back in 1968 and he lived here until he was 8 years old.
For those keeping count, we can now account for 14 years of prior residents to the Heathcock home and both of those individuals have made an impact in improving their former residence for the Heathcock family. What a small world.
1:25 – Even Congressman Gene Taylor (D.) is getting his hands dirty. The Congressman is working alongside other volunteers and is helping the siding crew. We’ve seen him do anything from help carry product to the side of the house to grab trash and haul it away to the dumpster.
1:55 – The construction crews are having to put down a fine gravel on the mud just so people aren’t having to trudge through all the water puddles that have accumulated throughout the day. It’s not a heavy rain but the water is continuing to come down which is making a real mess of things. None of the workers have slowed down though which is a testament to their commitment to this project. Each and every volunteer should be commended for their efforts over the course of this week.
3:05 – Siding is just about finished up on one side of the house and work has started on the front side of the house. Workers have had to throw a tarp over the top of the house to keep the rain from dripping indoors.
3:25 – Designers Paige and Michael are out taking pictures with spectators and checking out the progress on the house. Congressman Taylor even came by to have a few words and take some pictures with both designers.
The rain seems to have died down and the tarp that once covered the roof is now gone. Workers have picked up the pace on laying down shingles.
Samone Faulkner, Casey Rawls, Jamal Robinson, Kyle Neaves, Scott Thornburg
4:30 – Congressman Taylor just came by to pick up his Sperrys and head out after a full day of work. The roofing, along with the siding on the front of the house is coming along.
6:30 – The framing of the entire house is now complete. The electrical work is finished and they are now starting the dry wall and sheetrock.
7:30 – Roof is getting close to being done. The inside is about 7-8 hours behind schedule. Through the muddy grounds, the men and women are working hard to get back on schedule.
8:45 – David Thompson with AAA Homes confirmed they are behind a few hours due to weather conditions and a few minor setbacks, but he is not worried. Thompson anticipates bad weather tomorrow, but is ready “to ride the toughest bull you’ve got. Bring it on! Our men are working like champions. This is extreme. There are a lot of heroes out here.”
Alison Crumpton, Ali Blackledge, Mary Lois Hanna
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