Thursday morning, it was business as usual for the small crew of The Village Builder construction company. John Donohue of Albany and Bruce McVicar of Corvallis worked to secure new slabs of sheet rock onto exposed wall supports, while fellow crew members Peter Noone and Tom Olson measured and cut the next pieces to fit.
But, it wasn’t just any job, and the company wasn’t getting paid a dime. They wouldn’t have it any other way.
Village Builder owner Charlie “Chuck” Noone volunteered his crew’s services to help rebuild the fire-damaged office of Salman Alfarisi Islamic Center director Mohammed Siala. The contractor’s crew is donating labor to rebuild the office which that was heavily damaged by an arson fire Nov. 28.
Chuck Noone was shocked when he read about the arson at the mosque and dismayed at news coverage that reflected animosity and hate. “I thought this needed to be turned around,” he said. “Maybe a small amount of kindness would help turn things around a little … I thought if we did something nice in their time of need, that maybe other people would help and it would all kind of snowball.”
In addition to the fire damage, repairs are needed to replace windows and a door that was damaged when the fire department forced entry to quickly extinguish the blaze. The rest of the building – including the main worship area, was unharmed, and there were no injuries. The center’s insurance policy covered the cost of materials for the repairs. “I told (the mosque leaders) whatever their insurance didn’t cover, we would pick up the tab,” Chuck Noone said. “I don’t want them to have to pay for anything out of pocket.”
In addition to the sheet rock, Village Builder’s crew will replace the doors and trim. Noone will pay another contractor, Dan George, for taping and texturing the walls. Volunteers – including residents from the mosque – plan to paint the office.
Mosque members brought the work crew potato soup as a small thanks on Thursday. The arson was a terrible thing, Noone said. But, “it’s an opportunity for community to come together.”
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