PORT TOWNSEND — The Port Townsend Kiwanis Club inaugurated a new program Wednesday to make houses constructed by Habitat for Humanity of East Jefferson County a little more like homes.
Club members delivered a handmade bookcase primed with a collection of children’s literature to the most recently constructed Habitat home at 1424 20th Street in Port Townsend.
Amy Milne and her son, Denver, 5, read through the 20 new books that were nestled in the new bookcase shortly after the afternoon delivery to their new 900-square-foot home, which they moved into about two weeks ago.
The books, most of them published by Scholastic, were selected by a reading specialist at Blue Heron Middle School.
The sturdy three-shelf case was hand-built by Kiwanis members Rich Gastfield, Bob Carter and Jack Westerman, who affixed a small plaque commemorating the gift.
Club members plan to give the same gift to all future Habitat homeowners.
Milne called Habitat “a great program” and said she was happy to be a homeowner instead of someone “who rented all over the place.”
The books and the bookcase were a great treat for Denver, but it is only the first step.
“He’ll have finished reading all of those books by the end of the day,” Milne said of her son.
“He loves to read.”
Habitat for Humanity builds decent housing for people in need through community volunteers who help neighbors build the houses.
Habitat homeowners pay back the cost of their housing materials through a no-interest mortgage that typically lasts 20 to 30 years.
Between 1998 and 2010, Habitat for Humanity of East Jefferson County completed 19 homes and rehabilitated two, and plans to build 22 homes by the beginning of next year.
For more information about Habitat for Humanity of East Jefferson County, visit www.habitatejc.org/index.htm, e-mail habitat@olympus.net or phone 360-379-2827.
