The David Carnley Project

David Carnley lives in a mobile home off of the south loop 505. Rita broke off the top of a pine tree and sent it through the ceiling of his bedroom and into his bed. Had he been home, he probably would have been killed. That hole has not been repaired. It has a blue tarp over the hole. Windows were also broken out. Although it is difficult to show with pictures, much of the floor is rotted out from the water damage, and the home is really uninhabitable. Mold and mildew cover the walls and fill the air. David has no furnace or air conditioning. He heats the home in the winter with a wood stove. He just replaced the metal chimney because it rusts out every year. It is our intent to use volunteer labor and funds from various sources to build him a new house.

The funding for this entire project comes from several sources: The Moody Memorial First United Methodist Church Permanent Endowment Fund (PEF); Rita Recovery, an agency of The United Methodist Church; and Church World Service. The major labor will come from the Mennonite Disaster Service. The management of this project was made possible by Self Help Housing of East Texas (SHHET), a 501(C)3, Texas non-profit corporation that was established to provide housing. 

In Short, this project was made possible by a group of faith based and non-profit organizations and a local businessman, Mark Bean, willing to donate resources to help those who need help. Where is our government in our time of need in East Texas? A lot of money has flowed into East Texas; yet, those organizations that are really helping (like SHHET) have to scramble to raise funds from a variety of sources.

 

 

 

FUMC Home

 

Self Help Housing Home

Project Phases

Pouring the Slab

Framing

Roofing, Interior framing, and siding

Dedication of home and finish work

 

       

 

This was David's home as of November 1, 2007
 

 This is the large hole in the roof. The tarp does not keep out the rain.
 

This is the chimney for the wood burning stove, which is the only heat the mobile home has.
 

Windows were broken out by the storm.
 

This is what is left of the pine tree that broke off and fell through the roof
 

The other side of the mobile home shows the blue tarp and exterior damage. The remains of the pine tree are off to the left.
 

Some of the interior damage... broken windows
 

The hole in the ceiling from the big pine tree. David is no longer able to use this room at all.
 

On November 13, 2007, David interrupted his lot clearing work to discuss the house plans with Jerry Klassen, Regional Director of the Mennonite Disaster Service.
 

Actual work on the house began on December 5. Mark Bean Construction company began site preparation.