Our vision is to bring hope to families whose homes have been destroyed by natural disasters beginning with hurricane Katrina, by helping to rebuild their homes and their lives. We believe that a well constructed house provides a sanctuary for families to redevelop secure and strong relationships. ONH seeks to reach people with the love of Christ by assisting in providing a shelter from the initial design phase to a house with all of the mechanicals roughed-in and the sheet-rock installed. We team with local churches, organizations and local government to reach out to families and define, design, construct, transport and assemble the houses and to help the families reestablish their lives and neighborhoods.

Our Method

Our Neighbor’s House, based in Waterville, Maine, has engineered a simple method of constructing all of the walls of a house at a single facility and shipping them to a specified location, a method which can be replicated in any state. A field representative measures the existing foundation and is our liaison with the recipient family, building inspector, subcontractors and volunteer assembly teams. Here, at ONH, we evaluate, plan and facilitate the manufacturing of the walls in our facility and in any facilities located in other states.

At the manufacturing facility the volunteers construct the exterior walls complete with windows, doors, trim, siding and a portion of the interior electrical. The interior walls are only framed with some of the electrical completed. The walls are then loaded on a truck capable of carrying two houses per load. On site the volunteer assembly teams, with any subcontractors necessary, have the walls craned into place. While the roof is being constructed the electrical, plumbing, A/C and heating are roughed in and the walls are sheet-rocked.

Overall, our method is for individuals, organizations and churches, throughout the U.S., to adopt a devastated family and a destroyed house. An amazing aspect of this method is that it allows people to be a part of the process at any or all stages. From being part of a shop team that constructs the walls in our facility or an assembly team that erects the house on site, this life changing partnership offers extraordinary opportunities.

The need for reconstruction and support resources in the Gulf area is overwhelming. Families have been decimated and hopelessness abounds. Here is the opportunity to turn around natural disasters with true acts of God.