They regularly compete with each other for construction business
in town. But on Wednesday, area contractors gave back, together,
and volunteered a day’s labor laying concrete at the
donation-driven Emmaus House project.
After the first of five Graniterock trucks arrived at 7 a.m.,
about 15 local workers from the San Benito Contractors’ Association
showed up and worked at the site until early afternoon.
They regularly compete with each other for construction business in town. But on Wednesday, area contractors gave back, together, and volunteered a day’s labor laying concrete at the donation-driven Emmaus House project.
After the first of five Graniterock trucks arrived at 7 a.m., about 15 local workers from the San Benito Contractors’ Association showed up and worked at the site until early afternoon.
Most of the contractors involved are owners of local construction businesses, according to Nick Prizant, president of the Contractors’ Association and an employee of Graniterock.
“People are giving up a day of work to give back,” said Prizant, who was also at the Emmaus House on Wednesday.
The 45 yards of concrete donated by the Watsonville-based company is worth about $6,000. And all the contractors gave up at least a portion of their workday for the project, Prizant said.
After three years of construction and eight years of planning, the Emmaus House is expected to be completed sometime this fall. The 24-hour facility at the corner of Sunnyslope and Valleyview roads is intended to provide shelter and counseling to victims of domestic violence, legal assistance, a crisis phone line and emergency transportation.
In recent months, the Emmaus House Board of Directors has experienced difficulty obtaining the necessary funds to finish the project. They need about $20,000 for remaining work, according to Gary Sandifer, owner of Sandifer Construction. He and another local contractor, Darin Del Curto, have primarily overseen the project’s construction.
The project has been driven by volunteer work, donations and discounted services. Overall, nearly $800,000 in money and labor have been offered to the project. Prizant said Graniterock has donated about $10,000 over the course of the project.
Graniterock is regularly solicited for donations and the company chose the Emmaus House project because, “There’s a need in the community for a battered women’s shelter,” Prizant said.
The contractors have anxiously awaited the opportunity to lay the concrete, a major stepping stone to the project’s completion, according to workers at the site.
“This is a big day,” Prizant said of Wednesday’s concrete pouring.
Other local construction companies involved Wednesday included A&D Construction, Alvernaz Concrete, Alvizo Concrete, Central Coast Concrete, Nielson Construction and S&C Construction.
