WEST BAINBRIDGE – When volunteers for Chenango County Habitat for Humanity broke ground for their latest building project in West Bainbridge in April, they had high hopes of a great year ahead with a new partnering family, a site for construction, and fundraising plans for community support.

Almost three months into their building project, CCHH President Kathy Knudsen said the small group of volunteers has made great strides in living up to their expectations. The building project has come a long way in a short time, she said. Last week, cement was poured for a concrete slab foundation, exterior plumbing is in place, water wells have been drilled, radiant heat is being installed, and crews are almost ready to put up walls.

“We’ve really progressed,” Knudsen said, explaining that CCHH only sees an average of 5-8 active volunteers working on the house every Saturday. “It’s come together quite well. I’ve been really impressed.”

The group’s goal is to have walls and a roof on the 3-bedroom house, and heat installed before cold weather strikes in the late fall, “so we can have the heat on to work inside during the winter,” explained Knudsen.

With the combined experience of the Habitat for Humanity building team, it’s a goal well within their reach. This is the fifth house volunteers have constructed since the ground breaking of their first home in 1998 – most of the volunteers have participated with the agency long before that, Knudsen noted. Since then, the organization has relied on volunteer work, money donations, and other charitable contributions to carry out their work. In addition, it’s benefitting from other funds by way of low-interest mortgages paid by previous Habitat partners, she added.