The Hearts of Life Foundation, an animal rescue and adoption center, is undergoing construction to extend their facilities. Improvements include new drainage to divert flood water, as well as a new enclosed shelter for the animals.
“Whenever we got rain, the water would actually pool at our present barn where we have the dogs housed,” Deborah Balkcom of Hearts of Life said.
The improved drainage has already been finished, and Hearts of Life is waiting for the next phase to begin work on a new shelter building for the animals. Currently, the animals are kept inside the barn, or outside in kennels set up on the ground. The new shelter would place the animals inside an enclosed building with a concrete floor.
“Along with the actual building of the new shelter, we’re going to build excercise areas, which will all be done at the same time,” Balkcom said.
The construction projects have no set time of completion. This is due to the fact that the Hearts of Life Foundation must rely on donated money and time in order to have the projects done.
“The temperatures right now are making it hard for us to even get started on what we want to do because our volunteers can only work on the weekends and it’s too terribly hot to even get the area cleaned up to do it,” Balkcom said. “I have talked to an individual who’s son is a Boy Scout and is working on becoming an Eagle Scout. He needs to complete a big Eagle Project, and he’s mentioned some interest in doing the actual work for preparing the concrete and the rebar. It all has to be approved, but if he could do that, it would be outstanding. It would mean less money that we have to come up with, because we have to raise the money to do the project.”
The dirt work has already been done, but the concrete has yet to be started for the new shelter building.
