CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Volunteers traveling by RV from across the country will make 190 stops to build homes for Habitat for Humanity. Corpus Christi is one of them.
They're called "Care-A-Vanners" and there are about 48 of them, made up of primarily 20 husband-and-wife teams who will be contributing to the workload.
"We're so blessed to be able to travel in our RV and we want to give back," Michigan volunteer Sharron Prisbe said. "And it's really nice to be able to give back and see the people that we are helping out."
Two previously selected, low-income families will be moving into homes being built on Chula Vista and Lipan streets.
John Ray, the director of operations for Corpus Christi's Habitat for Humanity, said everybody deserves a safe place to live.
"There are so many people out there right now that are living on the street -- surfing from couch to couch," Ray said. "Our goal is to make sure wants a place to live has that opportunity."
The level of experience varies. These volunteers are not all professional home-builders. Some are retired doctors, lawyers and corporate managers who want to lend a hand to families in need.
"Experienced, non-experienced -- it doesn't matter; every little bit helps," construction supervisor Shelly Horn said.
The homes should be completed within the next 14 months.
"And like they have stressed," Texas volunteer Billie Luhning said. "It's not a hand out it's a hand up so that someone could have a house of their own."
On Feb. 18, State Farm Insurance will be shooting a national commercial here in town. It will be about one of their employees who used to be a resident in a Habitat for Humanity home in Corpus Christi. State Farm will also present a donation to the local non-profit.