Donations and hard work from the building trades, contractors and contractor associations are helping to bring a new domestic shelter to life.

The process began in earnest on Saturday, Sept. 8, when six volunteer iron workers and an operating engineer donated their time and skills to erect the steel beams that will support the main level of the shelter. MBM Fabricators and Martin Structural Sales donated the steel, while Allingham Crane donated the crane and the operator.

The domestic abuse haven will include an emergency shelter, counseling center, children's center and administrative offices. LACASA completed a fund drive last June in order to pay for the $2.5 million building, and numerous unions and contractors stepped forward to help with the final $20,000, which allowed the shelter to meet a deadline in order to get a $400,000 grant.

Contributing money were: IBEW Locals 58 and 252, The Greater Michigan Plumbing and Mechanical Contractors Association and the National Electrical Contractors Association-Michigan Chapter.

The project is expected to be completed in the summer of 2002. The expanded facility will be built off the rear of LACASA's existing administrative offices in Howell, which is in a 150-year-old historic home that doesn't provide sufficient room or privacy for guests and has inadequate security, said Deborah Felder-Smith, LACASA's executive director.