Disabled Sweet Home man will get new home

built with donations of time, talent and materials

By Alex Paul

Albany Democrat-Herald

SWEET HOME - Walls are in place and the roof should be up by Tuesday night on a house being built by dozens of volunteers for a disabled former Sweet Home all-state football player.

Volunteers have been working seven days a week since Aug. 10, removing a dilapidated trailer and starting a new fully handicapped-accessible home for Dirrell Harper, 40, who suffers from his body's overproduction of uric acid. The former Husky is wheelchair-bound. His friends decided they wanted to improve his living conditions, and the idea swept through the community.

The goal is to turn over keys to the new house in early October, two months after the old trailer was demolished.

"We're about a week ahead of schedule," said Mike Melcher, who is spearheading the effort with Harper's friend Ron Moore. "The people of Sweet Home have really taken to this project. They really believe in what we're doing. What a neat place to live. Sweet Home always comes through."

The volunteers plan to build the 1,200-square-foot house for about $60,000 through donations of time, talent and materials. The home will be donated to Harper.

"We hope to have the roof trusses up and the roof sheeted by Tuesday night," Melcher said. "The crew started on the exterior walls at 7:30 Saturday morning and had them up by 12:30 that afternoon. It's amazing."

Sunday morning, lead contractor Frank Barraza and Albert Niemi put interior walls into place.

"It's really great seeing how construction people think alike even though we work separately most of the time," Niemi said. "One crew laid out the walls and another crew came in and took over putting them up like we'd been working together for years."

Moore said crews will begin roughing in electrical, plumbing and heating by the end of the week.

He said he is disappointed that the city council has not waived fees for the project, and that several volunteers plan to ask the city to reconsider its position during a council meeting Tuesday evening.

People who can't swing a hammer can still take part in this project, Moore said. Cash donations are being accepted at all Key Bank locations. You can follow The Harper Project's progress on Facebook.