NEW YORK—Melissa Gilbert, the Little House on the Prairie: The Musical star, and fellow cast members will help build Habitat for Humanity (HFH) houses during their show tour. They already started sweating on Aug. 3, in the Bronx.
The cast and crew are taking part in Habitat for Humanity’s mission to bring affordable housing to those in need by helping build houses in each city they visit during their national show tour.
“Home is the basis for every person,” said Gilbert, the adorable child star of the TV series Little House on the Prairie, who is now coming back as Ma in the musical. “We must understand that we need to help each other, and it starts from our backyard.”
Little House on the Prairie was originally a semi-autobiographical book about a family, the Ingalls, who lived in the Midwest of the late 19th century. The book was turned into a popular TV series in the 1980s.
Kate Loprest, who plays Nelly in the show, said “I’m here because I think it’s important to show that actors are also here for the community, we are here to help. Actually it’s the same as acting; you give something from yourself to the audience.”
People who receive the new houses also have to participate in building the houses. Troy Agard is one of those, and he is about to move to a new apartment in Brooklyn that has been built by HFH.
“I can’t wait, that’s amazing … I live in Queens with my mother and grandmother in a two bedroom. HFH gave me this opportunity,” said Agard, between drilling and hammering. “[This project] gives people the opportunity to make their dream come true … and you also appreciate it because you built it yourself.”
HFH is a nonprofit, ecumenical Christian housing ministry, which builds simple and affordable homes in partnership with those in need of decent housing all over the world.
“Today, decent shelter is as critical to families as it was to the Ingalls family so many decades ago,“ said Josh Lockwood, executive director of HFH in New York City. ”This alliance furthers our mission to provide affordable housing and sustainable communities for families worldwide.”
