New England Woman to Join
Habitat House Project in Costa
Rica
By M.E. Jones
PEPPERELL-- Karen Crissey has an
adventurous spirit, an
empathetic heart and more than
enough energy for challenging
projects. Her new undertaking
may be her most ambitious to
date.
Crissey leaves for Costa Rica in
August to participate in a
Habitat for Humanity
International (HFHI) "Global
Village" project. She'll help
build a house there that costs
approximately $8,500 and will
take about a month to construct
in partnership with an outfit
called Regional Guanacaste,
which has several such houses in
progress.
Her stint will last about a week
and will include labor-intensive
duties such as mixing cement,
framing, laying blocks and
excavation.
The house Crissey's 15-person
team will help build for a
family in need will encompass
about 42 meters, typically with
two bedrooms, a bath and
laundry, kitchen, dining room,
living room and common area.
It's notably smaller than her
own spacious home, and the
disparity isn't lost on this
former retail businesswoman, who
until recently worked in
banking.
"As an American, I am very
fortunate " Crissey said in an
e-mail to a fellow Habitat
volunteer. "I was laid off in
March and it (HFHI) is the best
thing that ever happened to me!"
She's seeking new career
options, she said, but first
wants to give something back.
The home-building project offers
a chance to "volunteer in a
meaningful way," she said.
Crissey described herself as a
"very giving person" who likes
to nurture. And she's handy,
too. "I like to build and
create, both indoors and out,"
she said.
Her track record speaks for
itself. Crissey, who grew up in
Chelmsford and is single, moved
to the area about eight years
ago. She sold her home in Lowell
and bought a house in Townsend.
After selling her Townsend home
a couple of years ago, she
bought her mother's home in
Pepperell and began turning it
into a showplace, with a suite
for mom.
The rehab is still a work in
progress. Crissey designed the
interior with standout fixtures
and user-friendly features and
upgraded the décor with unique
furniture finds. Outside, she's
landscaping the 5-acre spread
with her own tractor and an eye
for beauty -- relocating trees,
planting shrubs and building a
rock wall.
Animal outreach
Meanwhile, Crissey has been
adopting rescued animals,
including three friendly dogs --
two Chihuahuas and a Pomeranian.
One dog had been abused and
abandoned; another belonged to
an elderly man too ill to keep
him. The dogs share her house.
Chickens, roosters and rabbits
live in heated houses in
Crissey's big back yard, with
fenced roaming room. Her mom
will care for the critters while
she's in Costa Rica.
Crissey likes to travel. "I love
to learn about other cultures. I
am a better person because of
it," she said. Volunteers have
culture-sharing options, she
said, and her team chose
tortilla-making and dancing. In
return, they'll demonstrate
American softball, which
Guatamalans don't play, and sing
"Take Me Out to the Ball Game."
The price tag for her trip is
about $1,600 including airfare
and shared accommodations.
Crissey hopes to raise the full
amount, minus $350 for
immunizations. Friends,
relatives and former co-workers
have chipped in about $1,000,
she said. Donations are
tax-deductible and due the last
week of June. Checks may be made
out to Habitat for Humanity and
mailed to Karen Crissey, 12A
Chestnut St., Pepperell. Those
who give will get a receipt, she
said.
Crissey plans to make Habitat
for Humanity part of her life
and hopes to participate in a
building project at least once a
year. "I cannot think of
anything better than HFH. They
build homes for people -- what a
humanitarian thing to do," she
said.
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Habitat for Humanity Costa
Rica is a promoter of sustainable housing solutions as
social concern, integrating family commitment, and
generating an impact in community development through
strategic alliances.
Click here for more info on the
Habitat! |
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