Three days, 400 volunteers, one new home on Oneida

Three days 400 volunteers one new home on Oneida

Hundreds of volunteers were up to the task of building a home for an Oneida Nation of the Thames family in just three days.

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Imagine Build is an organization formed in 2021, and has been working alongside Oneida Nation of the Thames to build more homes in the community southwest of London that faces a housing crisis.

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“Standing here Monday looking at it now, it’s quite a different site than what we had on Friday morning at 6 am when we rolled in,” said Jade Doxtator, both an Imagine Build committee member and an Oneida community member. “We had an amazing, amazing showing from all the volunteers.”

The threat of rain didn’t dampen the project that saw more than 400 volunteers come together, working day and night, to make the home a reality. The build finished Sunday afternoon.

“(We) had a couple of days where Mother Nature looked like it was going to play some tricks on us, but it managed to hold off for us,” Doxtator said.

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The home is the third house that has been completed in the Imagine Build campaign.

Mandi Fields, founding member of Imagine Build, was ecstatic.

“It’s beautiful. I don’t even know how to put it into words,” Fields said. “Truthfully. I don’t even know if it’s sunk in to be honest.”

This home on Oneida Nation of the Thames was built in an Imagine Build three-day blitz that began Friday morning, and was completed Sunday afternoon. Photos taken on Monday, Oct. 23, 2023. (Brian Williams/The London Free Press)
Imagine Build home
(Brian Williams/The London Free Press)

The current campaign has a goal of four homes, but Fields hopes this campaign is just the beginning.

Doug Tarry was instrumental in leading the charge to complete the home in just three days. He said on Friday, it was important to shine a light on the housing crisis faced by First Nations communities.

The fourth home will feature a greater involvement by Oneida Nation of the Thames community members.

Tarry spoke about bringing a training center to the community, where Oneida Nation of the Thames community members can learn trades, Doxtator said.

“The next plan is to really get the training and the knowledge going so that our committee members have those skills to continue on, and to not only help themselves, but to give back to the community in terms of housing and helping with renovations (on houses in the community),” Doxtator said.

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The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada

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