WICHITA, KS (INGERSOLL RAND NEWS SERVICE) -- Armed with power drills, paint brushes and a desire to serve their community, eight Trane commercial business employees from the Wichita, KS, office recently helped a local organization tackle a home-building project for a family in need.

The employees volunteered in September for the Wichita chapter of Habitat for Humanity, Inc., a nonprofit, ecumenical Christian housing organization providing low-income families with affordable housing.

The Trane employees volunteered in two groups, each for half a day. Participating employees included John Knipp, district manager; Pat Knipp, accounting; Andrew Knipp, EBS account development; Mario Navarro, parts manager; Melissa Ward, administrative assistant; Becky Kealey, accounting; Royce Meili, BAS manager; and Christian Knipp, EBS account manager.

Construction on the home, located in north-central Wichita, began September 15. Generally, construction takes about 20 days, with 400 to 500 volunteers working on a single home during that time period, according to Miah Schneider, development director for Wichita Habitat for Humanity. Local businesses, organizations, schools, churches and individuals provide the bulk of volunteer hours. Since most volunteers are not professional builders, Habitat provides construction professionals who oversee the work done on each home.

"It was fun," said Kealey. "You could see the progress that was made that day." Her job was to apply primer to the house, adding she somehow managed to avoid getting paint on herself. Pat Knipp wasn’t so fortunate. "I was a mess," said Pat Knipp. "I even had it in my hair."

While Kealey and Pat Knipp painted, Pat's husband, John, hung sheetrock. Like his wife, John was covered from head to toe, not in paint but in sheetrock dust.

"It was manual labor," said John Knipp. "I hope I never have to do it again… until next year."

The organization plans to build 16 homes this year, with seven being built between September and Thanksgiving. In 2008, Habitat built 17 homes in Kansas, with three being built in Greensburg, the small Kansas town destroyed by a massive tornado in May 2007.

Homes are not given away to recipients. Those selected for a Habitat home must pay closing costs and the cost of the home – interest free – over 20 years, said Schneider. In addition, applicants must put in 250 to 400 hours of "sweat equity" in order to be selected for a home, which can include work on other Habitat homes and in Habitat’s re-sale store. Recipients also help build their own homes.

Once a home has been completed, a dedication ceremony is held for the family, which is often an emotional experience.

"They're very excited, of course, and they can't wait to get in there," said Glenda Ebert, volunteer coordinator for Wichita Habitat for Humanity, describing the reactions of many new home recipients. "It's a dream come true for so many people. They never thought they would have a home [of their own]."

"There's almost always tears," added Schneider. "It’s pretty powerful."