GREENE – The house being constructed for a Greene family could be completed and ready for them to move in before the first of the year, according to representatives from Chenango County Habitat for Humanity.

“We broke ground in May,” said Habitat’s Olin Miller. “We’d love to have it done by Christmas.” This would be a huge accomplishment as each of the homes the organization has previously built in Chenango County have taken up to two years.

“We’re about a year and a half ahead of schedule,” said Sam Gainfort, Habitat’s local building committee chairperson.

Gainfort, who also serves as the project’s site supervisor, credits their accomplishments so far to the pool of willing volunteers in Greene. “Community support has been outstanding,” said Gainfort.

This sentiment is echoed by Patty Washburn, the project’s volunteer coordinator. “People in Greene are more than willing to help others,” said Washburn.

The roughly 1,500 square foot single-family home is being built on a piece of land donated to Habitat by an investor. According to Miller, the house that previously stood on the site was damaged heavily in the 2006 flood.

The donation came at the same time as Habitat was contacted by Washburn and other members of the Greene community about a local family in need.

According to Miller, Christine Dunlap and her husband Larry were struggling with “horrendous medical bills” after complications from injuries sustained in a car accident led to the loss of part of her right leg.