The Man Behind the Scenes

So who is this man behind the scenes who wears so many hats? Craftsman, cost analysis, purchasing agent, Contractor, engineer, teacher and leader, briefly sums up the abilities of our overqualified Construction Manager; Jerry Franitza. Although his occupational training was engineering, God has allowed him to broaden his abilities.

After a family has been evaluated and accepted into the Habitat program, the size of a home is based according to needs and number of persons. Jerry draws all the house plans accordingly and must decide by Habitat, City and county codes. There is a set price by Habitat that he cannot exceed which includes materials, cost of a licensed electrician, plumber, heat & air, and foundation. There are also meetings with financial and volunteer sponsors. Once the start date arrives, things become very busy as many people must be organized and the job engineered out. Some volunteers have no previous training so they must be taught how to drive nails and use staple guns. Jerry spends all his time and thoughts for one purpose; and that is to help others have a better life and a safer place to live. His dedication and perseverance has helped Habitat achieve their quota of seven homes in 2005.

Although these homes have less square footage than the average homes built, Jerry still must go through all the same steps as other contractors, plus teach and oversee volunteers. It takes many soldiers to create an army and Jerry would be the first to admit that the success behind the Habitat program comes from its many faithful volunteers.

Recent events are making us more aware than ever of how much we need one another. It has been said that, "love is measured by the sacrifice of the gift" so because of the compassion and caring of Bradley County residents, we are making this a better community for all. From all our Habitat families, Jerry, we thank you for all your sacrifices and gifts of love.