SEARSPORT — Habitat for Humanity of Waldo County (HHWC) marked the official groundbreaking of its fourth build June 23.

With a group of more than 200 volunteers making the project possible, construction manager Jenness Robbins is charged with overseeing the building process.

Robbins has volunteered for the position in every one of the builds undertaken since the Waldo County affiliate was formed in 2009, according to affiliate executive director Meg Klingelhofer.

More than 40 families completed initial inquiries about this year’s build, before the field was narrowed to just a few.

This year’s home recipient, Brandi Brown, said even after making it to the final two she still wasn’t expecting to be chosen.

“I did the initial application, then they chose three families to do an extended application, and then they did a home visit,” she said of the process.

Brown, her two daughters, and three others currently reside with Brown’s mother in her three bedroom trailer home, a tight squeeze at best.

“They said they had to do a last home visit, but the last home visit ended up being ten people coming up my driveway with balloons,” she said about the moment she knew she’d been chosen.

“We’re all really excited,” she said, of her family of three.

“They’re really excited they both get to have their own rooms, which right now they don’t,” Brown added.

For her part, oldest daughter Delilah is also looking forward to having her own room, especially since she gets to pick the color of her soon-to-be pink and purple walls.

While her daughters are excited for their own room, Brown most looks forward to something she’s long gone without: privacy.

“Privacy is going to be amazing for me because right now I have zero,” she said, with a laugh.

Brown’s new home will be the fourth HHWC has completed, with the other builds taking place in 2010, 2012, and 2015. It’s a build-rate Klingelhofer says the group plans to at least double going forward.

“The goal is to build every year now, and soon get to the point where on alternate years we can build two homes,” Klingelhofer said of HHWC’s envisioned future.

Reliant on local fundraising, foundations, grants, and the ever important volunteer, the success of the group is due at least in part to the tight-knit community the homes are built in.

Despite always being on the hunt for more volunteers, Klingelhofer said that they’ve been fortunate to have the right skillsets present themselves at the right time.

“People keep arriving with exactly the right talents at exactly the right time,” she said of their many volunteers.

The jobs available to volunteers are almost as diverse as the volunteers themselves. From providing lunch for those swinging hammers to those actually doing the swinging, there is something for everyone.

The massive undertaking is made possible due to the generosity and close-knit nature of Waldo County residents, with Klingelhofer’s part time position the lone paid role in HHWC.

It is a community Brown is happy she and her children can now afford to stay in.

“Just being able to afford this, as well as taking care of my kids is awesome for me, Brown said.  “I’m so excited to be able to do that for them.”

Anyone interested in volunteering or learning more about Habitat for Humanity can visit their website or Facebook page.

Erica Thoms can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com