Can Collection Helps Build Homes, Hope in Ardmore

People are picking up aluminum cans across the nation with hopes of cashing in and winning big bucks. It's a national competition that people in Ardmore just couldn't pass up, and it’s making a difference in the community.

Saturday, October 3rd 2009, 12:09 am

By: News 9


By Jacqueline Sit, NEWS 9

ARDMORE, Oklahoma -- People are picking up aluminum cans across the nation with hopes of cashing in and winning big bucks. It's a national competition that people in Ardmore just couldn't pass up, and it’s making a difference in the community.

“I never thought this day would every come for me,” said Schantereal Reynolds, a Habitat for Humanity homeowner.

For the very first time in her life Schantereal Reynolds has a place to call her very own, a home.

“I feel really blessed. I was kind of overwhelmed at first because I was living in an apartment for a very long time,” Reynolds said.

A three bedroom for this mother of three now sits in the corner of a family friendly neighborhood, partly possible because of an Ardmore man.

"I've been an HH volunteer for 10 years,” said Habitat for Humanity volunteer Cole Tidwell.

Cole Tidwell collects bags and bags of aluminum cans he cashes in for a cause.

“If people let us have the cans, we'll do good with it,” Tidwell said. “About half way through it they just start to cry for awhile because they're so happy to have a new home and that's what makes it's important to me.”

So every week from the hospital to the schools, this 79-year-old volunteer collects hundreds of cans and every cent goes into building a Habitat Humanity home.

“It takes 48 cans to make a pound and a pound is 46 cents. Figure that out...haha,” Tidwell said.

While it could take awhile to add that up, Tidwell isn't wasting any time. He has his sight on a corner where he's helping build another family's dream into reality.

“I may only get a $100 or $200 of cans but you put that together for a period of years and it helps a great deal with everybody else contributing and working together. We're able to build houses for poor deserving families,” Tidwell said.

Tidwell has been doing that for years, but in addition to that, the total weight of cans collected in Ardmore this month will be sent in to compete with other cities. The top four winning towns get $5,000 to help.

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