MONTICELLO — Work is progressing rapidly on Lawrence County’ssecond Habitat for Humanity home since the arrival of a communityorganization’s grant.

Paul McLain, co-chairman of the Lawrence County Habitat, said hebelieves construction may be completed in late spring.

“It may be later, but realistically we’re looking at May orJune,” he said.

What makes the second home unique, McLain said, is the way it isbeing built.

“The key thing about this second home that makes it unique isthe Lions Club grant and that it is designed to be handicapaccessible,” he said.

The owners of the Rabbit Road home, John and Elizabeth Hooker,were notified in early summer 2000 that they would be thebeneficiaries of the second home. John is disabled, so it wasestablished at that time that the home would have specialrequirements, such as wider hallways and doors, grab bars and otheritems to make it more livable for a handicapped person.

Volunteers with Habitat applied for a special grant availablefrom Lions Club International for the building of homes for thehandicapped, but did not really expect to receive the grant, McLainsaid, because a grant had previously been issued for a home in theJackson area.

“It’s very competitive and very difficult to get,” he said.”It’s limited to homes for those with disabilities and it is veryrare for a single district to qualify for the same grant.”

The Lions Club International grant covers 75 percent of thetotal cost of the home and has really made the home possible,McLain said. In addition, the Lions Clubs of Monticello and NewHebron have pledged to help with an additional 12.5 percent of thecost leaving Habitat with only an equal share of 12.5 percent tofund the home.

“It’s been amazing how the Lord has blessed this ministry,”McLain said. “We give all the credit to God.”

The county is extremely fortunate to have received the grant,McLain said, because after it was awarded the Lions Club ruleschanged and under the current policy they would not have beeneligible.

Current policy on the grant states that only one home perdistrict may be built with the funds and it lowered the award to 50percent of the total cost. The home previously built in Jacksonwould have knocked Lawrence County out of eligibility.