Challenge Program Featured on Fox 29
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726 Pine completed
The Challenge Program, with the help of the Wilmington Housing Partnership and Advanta National Bank recently completed construction on this 1000 sq. ft. row home in Wilmington's East Side. Trainees were joined in May by Senator Tom Carper to celebrate the completion of this unique loft style home. Some of the details in the home include suspended closets, custom hardwood floors, a steel and yellow pine staircase, and a glass and wood beam wall. The landscaping for the project was donated by the Delaware Center for Horticulture.
206 Harrison Street
The program recently began work on another rowhouse in the Hilltop Section of Wilmington in partnership with Interfaith Housing, DE. This 1200 sq. ft. home will have three bedrooms and one and a half bath and is part of a development initiative in the neighborhood. We anticipate completion of this project by winter of 2006.
House Renovation Update
With the support of the Wilmington Housing Partnership and Advanta National Bank, we are renovating a property we own for the first time. We will sell the property once the renovations are complete and use the profits to support our training efforts. Because the house is located in a transitional neighborhood, WHP asked if we could do a "funky" renovation, including loft space, hardwood floors and ceramic tile. The Challenge Program again benefited from the generous donation of time by architect Jamie Unkefer from Kieren, Timberlake & Associates. The final design includes open floor plans, a steel stairway to the second floor, a twenty foot high exposed-brick wall and modern glass closet-wall construction. With the success of our recent building projects several people have contacted us about renovating their rowhomes or to transfer ownership of their homes to us. Future house renovation projects include 732 Pine St. and 301 to 303 W. 6th St. These two homes at 6th and Tatnall were the gift of an anonymous donor.
Timber Framing/Shop Update
There is never a shortage of work for program director Vincent Hernandez and his crew. Recycled Douglas fir bookshelves are always a favorite project and they have done a few this year. Aside from re-building window sashes and supporting our construction crews, they have built a large custom pool storage box, all of the handrails and stairs for our renovation projects, storage cabinets for the Riverside Community Center, and even a few Adirondack chairs. Vincent and his crew also product six timber frames. Last winter we installed a custom timber frame entryway with a tongue-and-groove pine roof deck for a private customer located in Montchanin. In March we raised a 14 foot by 18 foot recycled Douglas Fir carport in Alexandria, Virginia. We followed that frame with four 8 by 10 foot garden storage sheds, built mostly with kids from Howard High School who were supported by our Challenge Program trainees. Three of these sheds were shipped to and raised in Georgetown, Maine this summer.
Students Complete Brandywine Village Rehab Project
One of our crews is completing the rehab of a 3 bedroom, 1 bath row house located in the Brandywine Village section of Wilmington. The rehab of this circa 1904 Victorian includes completely new systems, a new roof, and new slate siding. The finished property will include hardwood floors, ceramic tile bathroom and kitchen, and two custom picture windows. Here Dior Bryant and Robert Putney are clearing dirt dug out of the basement to make room for a crawl space under the kitchen.
Challenge Program assists with Kingswood improvements
The Challenge Program recently donated services to the Kingswood Community Center for their Financial Services Roundtable Community Build Day. Trainees from the program helped to rebuild Kingswood"s Senior Center, Computer Learning Room, After-School Room, and day care center. Under the supervision of Construction Manager Alan Graham, our trainees laid carpet, replaced ceiling tile, laid VCT tile, painted, removed and rebuilt walls, changed out windows, restored bathroom tile, and built a large locking bookcase. In all, Challenge Program employees donated over 1500 hours of work to the project. Kingswood Community Center serves the Riverside Neighborhood in Wilmington. The project was coordinated by MBNA, Citibank, Cross Country Bank and Wachovia.
