Staff Photo by Helen Ravenel

From left, Patrick Neeley, Bill Lee, Mary Chason, Bill Emery, Wayne Whelan and Cal Lipscomb stand in front of the ET cottage they have helped assemble and furnish for a family in need.

Staff Photo by Helen Ravenel

Mary Chason sits in the little girls’ pink room.

First United Methodist Church members have been constructing this particular ET since January but have been with the ET program for two years now.

Maintained by the United Methodist Relief Center, the ET cottage will be given to a Mount Pleasant woman and her granddaughters whose trailer burned to the ground last August.

According to Isle of Palms resident Bill Emery, the ET cottages are constructed with 100% volunteer labor, following a standard set of plans, and then they are installed and maintained by the Methodist Relief Mission for deserving clients here in the Lowcountry.

“The people that get these cottages pay nothing except utilities until they no longer can reside in it or until they pass away and then we refurbish the cottage and give it to the next in line,” said Emery.

But Emery said, “the problem we now face is that there are three new ones to be installed, several to be refurbished and about 175 people who could use one.”

According to Emery, the organization is low on financial resources, and volunteer manpower to keep the program moving.

The construction and material costs have a $30,000 budget for each ET.

Currently there are 53 cottages statewide providing safe, dry and warm homes for elderly and disabled residents, said Dan Nesbitt, associate director of United Methodist Relief Center. Nesbitt said that new applications are coming in every day.

“As the needs go up, the ability to find funding goes down,” said Nesbitt.

The ET sitting on the Isle of Palms, about 700 square feet, is 10 feet longer than the other ET’s and this one has two bedrooms.

University of South Carolina college students, as well as Bishop England and Academic Magnet students  have pitched in on their time off.

Money has been raised within the church and a number of companies have donated appliances.

One church member had a friend who had a whole kitchen’s worth of appliances.

The friend opted to sell the appliances on Craigs list, made $1,800 and used that money to furnish the kitchen.

The insulation is good and is cost-effective. For example, there is a tankless water heater, in which the person uses only the water he needs.

“We have hit a wall financially,” said Emery, noting that they hope to find sources for additional revenue to keep the projects going.

According to Mary Chason, who has been particularly involved in the design aspect of the ET, the home has been designed on a very tight budget.

Chason consulted with the lady to see what her preferences were, such as if she prefered bright colors to softer colors. What Chason came up with was a feminine pink room for the young girls and a cheery yellow for the master bedroom.

According to Patrick Neeley, Point Hope Methodist Church in Park West let the ET cottage volunteers use their warehouse and also donated volunteers and money.

Neeley said that Point Hope Methodist had formerly been meeting at Jennie Moore Elementary School because the church had not been able to build their own church building due to limited funding.

Many others have stepped up to plate as well, such as both the Men’s Club and the Women’s Club of First United Methodist Church.

Another resource included St. Vincent de Paul Society at ECCO, which donated necessary household items.

For more information about United Methodist Relief Center, visit the Web site at www.umrc.org.

(Helen Ravenel can be reached at helen@moultrienews.com.)