Volunteers demolished the home of Dirrell Harper last week to make room for a new house.
Over the weekend, Dave Koopman placed forms for the foundation, said Ron Moore, a friend of Harper’s. They were planning to pour cement on Wednesday.
The covering structure for Harper’s manufactured home was damaged by a storm early this summer, Moore said.
Harper received insurance money to repair the damage, but the home has electrical hazards and other problems, Moore said, so it wasn’t worth putting the money back into the building.
Harper suffers from a medical condition that confines him to a wheelchair, Moore said. His manufactured home was difficult for him to use.
The manufactured home will be replaced by a 1,200 square-foot stick-built home, Moore said. The new home will be set up with the amenities he needs for his disabilities.
The total cost of the project is estimated at $60,000, Moore said. That includes materials and insurance money, which is less than 10 percent of the project. So far, approximately 75 percent of the materials and work has been donated.
A City Council committee rejected an application for a grant to cover building permit costs last week, Mayor Craig Fentiman said.
The conditions of the grant program prohibit funds from benefiting a single individual, he said. The funds must be used to benefit the community.
Moore and Mike Melcher were planning to pay for the permits so the project could move forward.
“We’re looking for any assistance we can get,” Moore said. “We’re not counting on the city to step up and help us out. There’s an extra $2,000.”
Frank Barraza of Barraza Construction is the lead contractor on the project, Moore said. Others involved in donations or labor include Mountain View Woodworking, Reliable Heating, Eric Frazier, Danny McCubbins, Keith Wooley, Gary Carper,
Buckmaster Plumbing, Josh Darwood, Ken Keenon, Skip and Michelle Marler, Direct Flooring Center in Bend, Skip and Ted Stock and Lester Sales. Individuals, including Shain Thompson and Tom Hyer, have helped out as well. Plans were donated by Ron Care of C2 Design of Albany.
Barraza doesn’t know Harper, Moore said.
“The project is just the community coming together,” Barraza said. “I was approached by Ron Moore and Mike Melcher. They asked me if I could head the project. It was a good opportunity to help somebody in need.
“I just want to say how exciting it is to be part of the community, to give back to the community. When so many step up, it feels good to be part of something like that. It’s a good community.”
Barraza and the volunteers are hoping to complete the new home in 60 days, he said. “It’s a pretty simple house. It’s just a rectangle with a little porch.”
It will be built on a slab, which will help Harper move around, Barraza said. Everything in the house will be handicap accessible. The home will be built close to grade, so it won’t need to be ramped much.
Harper attended and graduated from Sweet Home High School with Moore. They have been friends since they were 6.
“He was an active athlete, a phenomenal football player on our team back in the ’80s,” Moore said. In his 20s and 30s he was involved in community softball.
Harper went to work for Clear Lumber and then Oremet after high school and college, Moore said. He worked for six or seven years before his disability began affecting him.
The condition has progressively worsened, Moore said.
“Knowing who he is and what he did when he was healthy, if I was in his situation, he would be helping me,” Moore said. “He’s just an easy guy to like.”
“He has a large group of people that know him and love him,” Moore said, but many folks who don’t know him are stepping up to help.
“I think that’s what makes Sweet Home special,” he said.
For more information, lists of materials and donations still needed and updates, people can visit “The Harper Project” on facebook.com.
Donations may be sent to Moore’s attention at Key Bank, he said.