By Mary Beth Marino

Emily Wallace had faith that she and her invalid mother and two sons, Bruce, 13, and Tony, 10, would all have a home someday.

Ms. Wallace, for the last 12 years, has raised her two gregarious boys, while working and taking care of her mother, Nellie Lee, who suffers from sickle-cell anemia.

When the grandmother could no longer walk up or down the 18 steps of their tiny apartment in Atlanta, they were recommended to the organization Habitat for Humanity in Atlanta, Inc.

The ecumenical Christian organization is composed of laborers, both clergy and lay volunteers, who seek to improve the conditions of the poor by building homes and making them affordable to the poor through a no-profit, no-interest loan plan.

The philosophy of the Habitat group states that the economically disadvantaged need capital, not charity. Through donations of time, materials and labor, as well as financial donations, volunteers are able to help build these homes.

Craig Taylor, neighborhood developer with Wesley Community Centers, Inc. and the United Methodist Church, said several churches and schools helped to build the Wallace’s home at 96 Vanira Ave. It is the first built by Habitat for Humanity in the city of Atlanta.

“One of the criteria for eligibility is having the family participating in the building of the house,” Mr. Taylor said. “Even if they can’t do the manual work, they could help just by fixing all the workers something to eat.”

And, indeed, the Wallaces did participate. Emily Wallace, who works for the Internal Revenue Service, cooked meals for the workers. Tony proudly boasted that he put “hay” on the front yard, showing a visitor pine straw, and that he helped the painters paint his new house. He was so excited about having his own bedroom “because my brother snores!” he griped.

“Well, you talk in your sleep!” the older brother quipped. And both lovingly exclaimed that “things will be easier for Mom now.”

The freshly painted green house sits among trees already in spring bloom. Azaleas adorn the sidewalk leading to the front porch. As you enter the house from the side entrance, you see “Grandma’s room,” which has a private bathroom attached at one end. Next to the bedroom is a small but cozy kitchen with soft colored floral wallpaper. Off this room is a nice sized living room with large windows beaming with sunshine. Down the hallway are three bedrooms, all a comfortable size for the tenant.

Father Frank Giusta, president of Habitat in Atlanta and the pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes Church, said that homes run in the price range of $12,000 to $25,000. Habitat for Humanity provides no-interest and no-profit mortgages. The owner would then pay $60 to $100 a month on the mortgage until the family owns the house. That payment would be used to build other Habitat homes.

The Atlanta program is an offshoot of Habitat for Humanity, Inc. started in 1968 in Georgia when Millard Fuller, businessman and lawyer from Montgomery, Ala., and the late Clarence Jordan, founder of Koinonia Farms, a Christian community in Americus, Ga., began work to develop a plan to eliminate substandard housing in Sumter County, Ga. They established the loan plan and began building houses with the help of volunteer workers. By 1983, new housing for nearly 150 families had been completed. There are Habitat projects in 12 countries and 39 U.S. locations.

Gilbert Nicolson, who belongs to Christian Presbyterian Church, worked many long hours doing construction work on the Vanira Avenue project. When interviewed, he was asked what drives him to give so much of his time to this project.

“A call for justice,” he said. “We are all called to do justice and to seek mercy.”

“Everyone should have a place to be safe and secure; like water and air, it’s necessary. I was tithing at my church, but my personhood wasn’t there,” he said. While working with others, especially from different church denominations, “you become brothers and sisters, and this is what is needed today,” he said.

Habitat is looking for many kinds of help, including donated goods such as lumber; factory rejects, if they are in good condition; tax-deductible contributions; donated land; and professional support from lawyers, accountants and architects. Volunteers are also needed to help build more houses. Individuals or even whole families could give a hand in building. Habitat also seeks recommended families for a future Habitat house.

Habitat’s guidelines for selection consider the family’s need, ability to pay, and willingness to assume the responsibilities of home ownership. They must also be willing to pitch in and help build the house or contribute by cooking food for the volunteers, etc.

Groups, organizations and clubs as well as private organizations would be welcome to participate in this opportunity to get involved in service to the poor. It is a small start on a monumental problem that will provide comfort not only to the receiver, but to the giver as well.

For more information contact Mary Eastland at 885-1415 or Craig Taylor, 659-0002, ext. 258.