Jill Schramm/MDN Standing with a symbolic $15,000 check from Wells Fargo on the deck of the latest Habitat for Humanity Northern Lights house being readied for occupancy in northwest Minot are, from left, Northern Lights Executive Director Roxy Volk and Wells Fargo volunteers Hannah Hockenberry, Joeli Thomas, Wendy Klaudt and Jennifer Grant.

Wells Fargo volunteers were washing walls and trimming trees Thursday in helping Habitat for Humanity Northern Lights get another Minot house ready for a prospective homeowner.

A partnership between Wells Fargo and Habitat for Humanity has helped create opportunities for homeownership in Minot for a number of years. In addition to the volunteer work done Thursday, Wells Fargo recently donated $15,000.

Jennifer Grant, branch manager at Wells Fargo’s south branch in Minot, said the bank has assisted with a couple of Habitat homes on several occasions. Employees receive 16 hours of paid time to volunteer, and the partnership with Habitat for Humanity gives them a natural place to donate their time, she said.

Joeli Thomas has volunteered in the community on her own, but as a new Wells Fargo employee, she was getting her hands wet on her first Habitat project. Her initial task was with a bucket of cleaner and a closet wall.

“I just thought it would be fun to help people less fortunate,” she said.

Wells Fargo employee Wendy Klaudt was on her second volunteer stint with Northern Lights Thursday.

“It’s very heartwarming that this is in our own area, our own neighborhood, so it’s nice to be able to help out,” she said.

Northern Lights is rejuvenating a house in northwest Minot that it had built in 2014 to replace a Habitat house that was destroyed in the 2011 flood. The house’s most recent owners have moved, and Northern Lights acted on its option to be the first buyer in a sale.

The previous family had a member who used a wheelchair, so the home was built with wheelchair accommodations, including a deck with entrance ramp.

Northern Lights Executive Director Roxy Volk said Northern Lights is seeking a homeowner whose family can benefit from the accessibility features. The affiliate has begun accepting applications.

Homeowners must contribute at least 250 hours of sweat equity. Volk said the intent is to select a family soon so members can get involved in the work still needed on the house.

“We ripped out all the carpet so now we are washing walls, trying to get the yard back up into shape, and then we’re going to paint everything,” she said.

The hope is to finish the house this winter and concentrate next spring on another property that essentially is a gutted structure at this time.

“We actually have another property that Wells Fargo donated to us,” Volk said. “Last spring we were going to start working on that, but that’s when the supply chain was such a problem.”

Wells Fargo has been a national partner of Habitat for Humanity International, helping build and repair more than 360 homes. Wells Fargo and Wells Fargo Foundation together have donated more than $129 million to Habitat for Humanity International and its affiliates since 2010, including support for new home construction and repairs, helping older adults age in their homes, neighborhood revitalization and disaster response.

The criteria for selection for a Habitat home is based on need, which considers adequacy of current housing and percentage of income being spent on housing. Annual gross income cannot exceed 80% of the Ward County median income based on family size. For instance, a family of four would be eligible up to an income level of $76,550. A single person would be eligible up to $53,600, and a couple up to $61,250.

Habitat families purchase their homes with zero-interest loans and must be able to demonstrate their abilities to pay the mortgages.

Habitat for Humanity also has a home preservation program through which it can help low-income homeowners who struggle to maintain or repair the exterior of their homes. The same tenets for eligibility apply, and work can include wheelchair ramps, painting, staining or minor exterior repairs. Program details are available at minothabitat.org.