THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, January 19, 1995 TAG: 9501190140
SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN PAGE: 15 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY SUSIE STOUGHTON, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: SUFFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 54 lines
HABITAT FOR Humanity volunteers had finished installing insulation under the house at 531 S. Broad St. on a recent workday as the men climbed out of the crawl space and peeled off their white protective coveralls.
For one of the workers, the project has a special meaning. Arthur Beamon, a single parent with two teenage children, will move into the house when it is finished.
Beamon, 34, a maintenance worker at Birdsong Peanuts, has donated more than twice the required 400 hours of ``sweat equity,'' working on the project every chance he gets.
He took a break from his labors and tried to explain just what being a Habitat homesteader means to him.
This is his story:
I enjoyed that. I looked in there yesterday and said, ``That is going to be hard so I'd better get a lot of good rest.'' I thought I'd have to fold up into all kind of knots laying in there. But it was fun.
I had to fill out an application for this house. I have to thank Charlotte Uzzle (Suffolk's first Habitat homesteader) and her family a whole lot for all that. If it wasn't for me knowing her, I wouldn't know about this. She helped me with my dream-come-true.
I figured the only way I could make my dream come true was to have a female working with me on it. I wanted to do mine myself. You can't predict the future. The years go by and things can get bad and you have sell the house.
I can do this by myself. With my son working, that helps out a lot. My kids know how to help out. I started them washing dishes and sweeping floors at 7 and 8. I started them early.
I've got pretty good kids. I raised them the old way. My son says he ain't never leaving, but I know better than that. We're more like brothers than father and son. We communicate real good. We can talk about anything.
The house I've been living in, the rent is $40. But they should have let us stay in there free, it was so bad. I wanted to get my kids out of there in my earlier years. I wish I could have given it to them in their younger years.
This is the best thing that could have happened to me, getting this house here. Usually, you get in and rent for a year with an option to buy. I told Dan (Anglim) to go ahead and let me buy it right now. Some people don't ever get this house. I'm going to be here. It's mine. I'm not going to let nothing happen so they could take it away. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by JOHN H. SHEALLY II
A happy Arthur Beamon, a single parent with two teenage children,
rests against the porch of the house he'll soon move his family
into.
by CNB