Volunteers build home at Buc Days festival to aid family in need

The festival grounds have been transformed into a build site, where volunteers are framing a home from the ground up in partnership with Habitat for Humanity.

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — What’s happening at Buc Days this year goes beyond the usual festival activity.

In one area of the grounds, volunteers are piecing together what will eventually become a home as part of a Habitat for Humanity project.

The effort is turning part of the festival space into an active build site where community members are helping construct a home from the ground up.

“We’re actually building a home at Buc Days during the festival,” said Ben Molina, president of Habitat for Humanity. “This is a fundraiser for us, and the money that we raise during this time is going to help us complete this house.”

For some volunteers, the experience is a new one.

“It’s the first time I’m swinging a hammer, but we definitely got something going on,” said volunteer Gregory Hartsfield.

Organizers say the building materials are prepared in advance so volunteers of all experience levels can take part in the project.

“All the components are pre-cut, pre-labeled… it makes it easy for our volunteers to come in, put a wall together,” Molina said.

By the end of the festival, the goal is to have the home fully framed before it is later moved to its final location.

“We’re going to have a whole house framed up… and then we’ll disassemble it and ship it to Robstown,” Molina said.

Volunteers say the project is about coming together for a shared effort.

“The fact that we’ve got a group of people that are willing to raise money, get the supplies together, get the people together,” said volunteer Thomas Flowers. “Because at the end of the day, this family just needs a home.”

The home will eventually go to a mother and her two children as they prepare for a fresh start.

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