NATCHEZ — Building a Habitat for Humanity house requires many hands and many hearts.

For more than nearly three decades, local volunteers have given their time, labor and monetary donations to build 20 houses and provide new housing with interest-free mortgages for families struggling to afford a safe place to live.

The volunteers are what make the construction of the house possible, Natchez-Adams County Habitat for Humanity member Duncan McFarlane said.

Each year, local organizations provide manual labor — constructing walls, building roofs and installing dry wall to help the local organization provide the houses at a low cost.

Future owners of the house are required to provide 250 hours of work to help build the house.

Recently local students from the Natchez High School and Vidalia High School pitched in to do the heavy lifting at this year’s construction site on Hunt Circle near Fire Station No. 3 north of Robert Lewis Magnet School.

Students from Youth Build — a program that allows young people to go to class for half a day to earn a GED and half a day on the construction site to learn a trade — have also contributed this year.

McFarlane said the work provided by Youth Build and other local groups has been invaluable.

Even still, McFarlane said he is in critical need of volunteers.

“I am really in a dry spell,” he said. “I am short of what I call regular volunteers, those that show every week to help.”

Regular volunteers are particularly valuable because they bring experience and continuity to the constructions site. Over time, regular volunteers require less guidance and teaching, McFarlane said.

But McFarlane said he welcomes everyone who wants to help build in the effort, whether it is one person or a whole group of people.

“We do the best we can with whoever shows up,” McFarlane said. “I hope during the holidays we will get more volunteers.”

McFarlane said no prior experience is necessary and volunteers do not need to bring their own tools.

“We will provide anything they need,” he said.

In addition to volunteers, McFarlane said the local chapter also needs money, especially after the local United Way recently closed its doors.

Before United Way closed, Habitat for Humanity received approximately $5,000 in donations each year.

“United Way closing really hurt us,” McFarlane said.

Financial donations may be mailed to Habitat for Humanity, P.O. Box 100, Natchez, MS 39121.

McFarlane said anyone interested in volunteering should call him in advance at 601-807-4956.

Construction crews work on the house from 8 a.m. to noon on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays, McFarlane said.