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By WAYNE ALLEN

PDT Staff Writer

Construction has begun on the 10th Scioto County Habitat For Humanity home in West Portsmouth. Volunteers spent part of the day constructing walls in the former Lute Supply building on Front Street in Portsmouth.

Once the walls are complete they will be shipped to the West Portsmouth site that will be the home of Josh Arnold and his family.

Arnold was on hand Wednesday to help with the construction.

“This is a dream come true,” Arnold said about helping to build his Habitat home. “I have always wanted to build my own house and now I can say that I helped to build my own house.”

The Habitat board of directors has decided to dedicate this build in the name of the late Dr. Thomas Swope, who was an active volunteer with Scioto county Habitat For Humanity and had a practice in West Portsmouth for many years.

Habitat has built five homes in Portsmouth, three in New Boston and one in South Webster.

Scioto County Habitat will host a group of 18 students from Boston College during the week of March 4. This marks the fourth year students from Boston College have traveled to Portsmouth during their spring break to help build homes.

“This is an exciting time for us at Habitat. We are looking to complete three homes this year: one in West Portsmouth and two within the city of Portsmouth,” said Laura Walker, co-president of Scioto County Habitat For Humanity. “We are also excited about completing our 10th home in Scioto County. All of this would not have been possible without the help of the community. With the continued support of the community, we will be able to provide safe, decent and affordable housing into the future.”

For more information or for ways to volunteer with Scioto County Habitat For Humanity, visit www.sciotohabitat.org or call 740-353-4993.