Volunteers help Malden resident with new home

MALDEN - Volunteers of Masonic lodges from Waverly and Spokane helped a resident set her new manufactured home on its foundations on April 29.

Professionals from two contracting companies donated their time to detach the manufactured home from its transport trailer and set it on its concrete foundation.

Roxanne Hartman, woman 60, was one of the many residents of Malden and Pine City who lost her home in the Babb Road Fire of 2020.

Hartman and her Husband Rick applied for a loan from the United States Small Business Administration and, after being approved, purchased a manufactured home with the funds along with a temporary living space.

Hartman's husband, Rick, passed away in October of 2021, which subsequently decreased the amount of finances she could receive from the United States Small Business Administration.

The decrease in funds prevented Hartman from moving forward with the installation process until the greater community stepped in to help with various needs.

The home could not be detached from its trailer mount or placed on the concrete foundations because of the lack of available funds.

"She has essentially been relying on community effort and donations to get her home properly installed and furnished." Kim Maxfield, case manager with Washington Masonic Services said.

Masons in the local area and representatives from Washington Masonic Services assisted with financial support and made efforts to identify ongoing needs immediately after the fire in 2020, and have been involved in various ways since that time.

Other organizations such as the Pine Creek Community Restoration Long Term Recovery Organization, a non-profit founded to manage the resources of the restoration, have provided case management and financial aid to residents.