Millard Fuller, together with his wife Linda, were co-founders of both Habitat for Humanity and the Fuller Center for Housing. Habitat was founded in 1977 and the Fuller Center was started in 2005, after a shameful chapter in HFH's history wherein the Board of Directors ousted Millard and Linda from Habitat on a trumped up sexual harrassment charge. Forget forgiveness (Habitat is a Christian based organization) and innocent until proven guilty (this is the USA)- out htey went. Millard was 72 at the time. Some of his friends at the time were counciling him that maybe he should retire. After all, with all of the Habitat affiliates (around 1700 in the US), he had built over a million homes. But, no, he said, God called me to this ministry to eliminate poverty housing, and he decided to keep on going and founded the Fuller Center for Housing, and covenant partners of this new organization began popping up around the country and world as well. Millard got sick in 2009 and passed away on the way to the hospital and was buried in a simple decent pine box, near his mentor, Clarence Jordan at Koinonia Farms, outside Americus Georgia. The Fuller Center now sponsors and annual event honoring the life and vision of Millard Fuller called the Millard Fuller Legacy Build. This year in was held in Atlantic City, New Jersey and was sponsored by the Jersey Pines Fuller Center, led by Merle and Neil Brown. It was originally to be held closer to Tabernacle NJ, about an hour inland, but then Super Storm Sandy came along and changed everything. So, from April 27 thru May 2nd this year, approximately 250 volunteers from around the country converged on Atlantic City to participate in the event. The project was the rehabbing, mostly the first floors of 22 two story homes, most of which had taken about two feet of water during the storm. The homes were mostly mucked out prior to us arriving there and the drywall had been cut away four feet up all around the first floor. The task for the week varied by each house but was basically to install insulation and sublfoors, install new insualtion and drywall four feet up and then paint the drywall, install new vinyl flooring (similar to pergo- click together- it looked like hickory- wild and crazy graining) and some kitchen cabinets. We didn't get quite as far as we would have liked to get. On Tuesday, the subcontractor that was going to do all the finishing of the drywall bailed on us, throwing a pretty big monkey wrench in the works, as far as hoping to complete any of the homes by Friday, at the end of the five day blitz. I had the honor of acting as house leader on two homes next to each other on Massachusetts Ave. 508 Mass belonged to Anthony Jones, a 52 year old black man, father of two grown children. 510 Mass ave was the home of Stacy and Taya Brown and their 5 children under 12, who since Sandy, are now living in a FEMA trailer. At 508, the crew of 6 was from Pennsylvania and was led by Doug Miller and his wife Kathy who are from Butler, Pa. Doug and his crew had worked with me on the Gulf coast before. Also Leda and Lynn( a married couple who's last name escapes me now, sorry) and finally Eileen and Lauren. We got all of the subfloor down, all the sheetrock hung and landing and steps made. There was no full bathroom on the first floor of Anthony's home, but upstairs there was a space for one that he had gutted himself, down to the framing and he had all of the fixtures in the house already, so we decided to try at least to finish the upstairs bath for him. We move the plumbing for the new tub and wider vanity (thanks Pete Berlowitz and Alex), framed new walls at the tub, and then installed the greenboard on Monday. Tuesday, the finisher cancels, so my brain starts churning idears how can we finish this bathroom by friday. I hate taping (gotta wait between coats and then wait some more for paint) but then I saw the big stack of 18" by 18" tiles in the front of the house. I axed Anthony if he would like a tiled bathroom. With his approval, got some tile adhesive and it was off to the races. Bad a bing bad a boom- instant finished walls. No compound, no paint.   Next door, at 510 the crew was from Maryland and was led abely by Bob Abel. Bob and about 11 others at this build participated in last years legacy build in Peru, South America. We got all the drywall done (after Steve Marksoff and Lee Struck fixed some electrical issues that I didn't feel comfortable covering up), did some of the finishing and some of the trim. Installed the grid ceiling in the kitchen and also the vinyl in the kitchen. Came dangerously close to installing the cabinets. Oh well.   
      The best part of these builds is seeing friends from past campaigns . There was one nice meeting of Biloxi days friends at the gutted bathroom Craig Snow, Bart Tucker, Carl Santillo, Steve Marsoff and myself. Carl was only there for a short time, but I thought I could entice him into helping with the plumbing if I showed him the work to be done.
       Also met Karen (aka Toolie), Dr. Wallace Mays from Americus, Barry Wolfensen for NJ (his wife recognized the back of my head while waling on the boardwalk, Don Moore from VA, the Snells, Kirk and Chris from Americus. Brenda Barton did an amazing job pulling this event together.
       Next years event will be held in Luuuhville, Kentucky, first week in April.
       On Saturday after the build, I flew out to Michigan, met my wife in Saginaw and we drove out to witness the graduation of son #4 (Alex) ffrom Central Michigan University. Magna Cum Laude in Sociology. Second son Bob also drove out from Ohio to celebrate, and we had a nice Italian dinner afterwards. Lois and I retruned the rental car adn flew back to Detroit together, then she went back to DC, and I to Philly to pick up my car and trailer and drive many miles back to Alabama. What a great week. I told Brandon during the week how much I appreciate his organization skills at our affiliate in Tuscaloosa.
     That's all for this week- Love ya!    Peter