Millard Fuller Legacy Build targets Minden, La. next fall

By Vickie Welborn
Shreveport Times

MINDEN, La. — The calendar hasn’t flipped to 2011 yet, but volunteers involved with a housing program already are anticipating a big event next fall.

The Fuller Center for Housing of Webster Parish has been selected as the host partner for the annual Millard Fuller Legacy Build that will take place Oct. 16-22 in Minden.

The third annual build will bring hundreds of volunteers to the area for a week to work on eight new homes and five rehabilitation projects.

The worldwide goal is 100 houses.

"This is a tremendous honor for our covenant partner," Ben Martin, president of the local housing ministry, said in a news release. "We are also very humbled that The Fuller Center for Housing would place their confidence in us to put this huge event together. We are very grateful that the international organization decided to bring MFLB 2011 to Minden."

This will be the largest single endeavor tackled by the local housing ministry in its 19-year history. Executive Director Charlie Park recalled that in 2005 a single house was built in two weeks. And in 2008, two houses were built in seven weeks.

"With somewhere between 250 to 300 volunteers coming to Minden to help us build these houses, we will need almost that many additional volunteers to handle the behind the scenes tasks," Park said. "We will be facing requirements like feeding and lodging all the visiting volunteers, transportation, medical, family support, devotionals, entertainment, and a host of other phases that will be crucial to the success of this event."

The blitz build will take place on 5.6 acres on Pine Street.

The tract of land will become a new subdivision named Legacy Acres, with the street down the middle named Millard Fuller Drive.

The new subdivision ultimately will contain 20 new houses.

"We are very grateful to all the officials with the city of Minden who have worked with us through the planning and development phase of this project," Park said. "Before the end of December, we hope to see dirt moving and dust flying." Continue reading>>