The Rev.

Monday, April 16, 2001

The Rev. George Toschak blessed the ground on which Bianca and Emilio Gerereo will one day play.

Toschak officiated Saturday morning at the site dedication for a new Freeborn-Mower Habitat for Humanity home with a crowd of the organization’s faithful watching.

The Easter weekend Saturday morning was bright with sunshine and promise; a fitting background for the Habitat organization to perform another one of its own home-building miracles.

The new homeowner-to-be is Jessica Gerereo, a single mother of two children ages 3 (Bianca) and 1 (Emilio).

The house is being built at 807 12th St. NE.

It will be a one-story, three-bedroom home, measuring 26 feet by 40 feet.

The foundation already has been dug and, weather permitting, the basement walls could be poured this week.

The goal is to have the home constructed by June 30. Volunteers are needed for the spring-time project. Anyone interested in helping may call the Habitat affiliate at 433-1349 or (800) 300-1349.

Toschak, pastor of Fellowship United Methodist Church of Austin, called the site of the new Habitat home "not only the site of a future dwelling, but a symbol of God’s love and care and of life together as the family of Christ."

Gerereo expressed her appreciation to the organization.

"I want to thank everyone for sharing this moment with me," she said. She was accompanied by a cousin, Mariah Britten, and a sister, Sandra Salinas, as well as her mother, Martha Bronstad.

The single mother is moving from a small second-story apartment to a home with a back yard for her children in a quiet northeast Austin neighborhood.

"It will be real nice, because my children will have room to play outside," she said.

Pam Laskewitz is the family’s sponsor.

The new family must contribute many hours of sweat equity into building their new home.

Otherwise, it will be the usual crew of hard-working Habitat volunteers hammering away at the project this spring. Local contractors also have donated materials and performed in-kind services for the project.

Call Lee Bonorden at 434-2232 or e-mail him at lee.bonorden@austindailyherald.com.