INDIANAPOLIS – A lot can happen in 4 hours. You can play a round of golf with your friends. You can bake a couple slabs of baby back rib in preparation for Zup's BBQ For Kids annual event. Heck, you can watch Dallas Clark guest star on 'Criminal Minds' 4 times. But build two houses? Absolutely.
On Wednesday, April 13, the Indianapolis Colts partnered with Habitat for Humanity of Greater Indianapolis along with CRG Residential, ExactTarget, and Indianapolis Power & Light to build the interior and exterior panels of two homes on Monument Circle in downtown Indianapolis for the 1st Annual Habitat for Humanity Circle Build.
In a fraction of over 4 hours, the panels were securely assembled and ready to be shipped and permanently fastened into what will become a loving residence. If a home is equal to the amount of care put into it, these two houses should have nothing to worry about. From the ceremonial first nails hammered in by Blue, Colts Senior VP of Sales and Marketing Tom Zupancic, and a couple Colts cheerleaders, to the last piece of plywood secured, these two houses had plenty of help from the Colts and the community.
"It's not just the people moving into the homes, it's the people doing the work," remarked Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard. "It brings people together and I appreciate you all coming out today."
Come out they did, as more than 40 Colts staff members hit the circle, hammer in hand, alongside other volunteers, including one of the deserving future residents of the house - Lachelle Jackson.
"It has always been a dream of mine to have my own home with my family," exclaimed Indianapolis resident Lachelle Jackson.
Jackson, who currently lives in housing on College Avenue, will finally have a home for her 9-year-old daughter Ti-yana Edmonds, and 7-year-old son, Keon Jackson.
"I can't wait to have a kitchen," exclaimed Lachelle, "Ti-yana loves steak and Keon will eat anything with peanut butter. He loves peanut butter!"
Lachelle will now have plenty of space in her new kitchen thanks to Habitat for Humanity and the Indianapolis Colts. "I couldn't be happier right now," gleamed Lachelle.
It seems fitting that Lachelle's two favorite Indianapolis Colts players of all time, Peyton Manning and Marvin Harrison, are also two of the most synchronized tandems in NFL history, given the fact that everyone at the Habitat for Humanity Circle Build seemed to be on the same page.
As Jim Morris, CEO of Habitat for Humanity of greater Indianapolis said, "Really, what makes up (Habitat for Humanity) is the volunteers. What's made (Habitat for Humanity) work for so long is the fact that it's a true team effort."
It was most certainly a team effort by the community and now a place a family can call their own. Lachelle must wait for her home to be shipped and assembled at her new residence off of Highland Place where she will begin a new chapter in her life with her family. In the mean time, she will have plenty of time to stock up on loads of peanut butter.
