I had the pleasure to tag along for yet another edition of the Homesteader Roots planting day recently, and to see the joy on the face of a homeowner seeing a new tree be planted in her front yard is hard to beat. 

The program has now planted 55 trees in yards in Powell city limits, although only three new trees were planted this year. 

I know there are still plenty of homeowners in Powell that could use a nice new shade tree, and you’re never going to get a better deal than paying $75 for an already established tree. The organization covers the rest of the cost — and volunteers plant the trees under the supervision of organizer Josh Pomeroy — and in the end you can be a small part of making the city even more beautiful. 

For more information, email homesteaderroots@gmail.com. 

I also had the opportunity Friday to go to an open house to celebrate the latest Mountain Spirit Habitat for Humanity family. 

This is a program I know well from the days when my mother volunteered with the Northern Colorado Habitat program. Getting to visit with families prior to and after moving into their new homes is an experience that sticks with you, makes you not take anything for granted. 

What is great about this program is it’s not a hand out. It’s an offer to assist with making a dream possible, but only if you’re willing to work for it. It's not a free home — families still have to make mortgage payments, take care of upkeep. But in an age where homeownership is becoming an ever taller task, it's a great way to help more people reach that level.

As Stacie Toot said Friday as she stood in her new home, she could not have become a homeowner without Habitat.

It’s a great program, and Powell residents can support it at multiple locations in Powell, by shopping at the Habitat Restore west of downtown or at the Shop on Bent downtown. 

For more information, visit mountainspirithabitat.org/.