Expanding house family’s ‘miracle’

If two’s company and three’s a crowd, then the Pule family is seriously overcrowded in its four-bedroom Orcutt home, because a dozen people share the space.

Kevin and Maria Pule always wanted a large family. Now, 10 children later — ranging from 16 years to 16 months old — the Pules are bursting at the seams.

Which is why they are so thankful that they met the Halsells, whose family business has decided to work with more than 100 subcontractors and vendors to donate more than $200,000 in construction work to the Pules’ home.

“It’s basically a miracle from our perspective,” Maria Pule said.

As one of nine children himself, Joe Halsell, the construction manager of Halsell Builders, felt an affinity for the family, and knew they could use a new family and dining room, kitchen and master bedroom.

For the past four years, Halsell Builders has chosen a community project each year that would benefit from a donation of their time and resources.

“It’s why we started the business,” Halsell said. “We do it because we can.”

The Pules and the Halsells met at St. Louis de Montfort Parish through their charitable work for families in need over the holidays.

At the end of 2007, the Pules were under serious financial pressure, and felt sure they would lose their home of 11 years to ever-rising mortgage rates.

“I put it to prayer because that’s all I know to do,” Maria said.

She added that the family directed those prayers to Saint Joseph, a carpenter and a working man.

Then the Halsells approached them and offered them an unexpected gift.

“It was a funny little miracle that the patron saint of their business is Saint Joseph,” Maria said as she cuddled her youngest child, Emma.

Since then, the Pules were able to lower their mortgage and keep their home.

“We’re just a family that’s trying to survive,” Maria said.

Michelle Swanson, one of the Pules’ longtime neighbors, said she didn’t know a more deserving family.

“Maria’s the kind of person who’s always trying to outgive God,” Swanson said. “They always do what they can to help others first.”

While construction on the house continues, the family has turned the garage into a makeshift kitchen, and Halsell has begun looking to local government agencies to waive some of the fees associated with enlarging the home.

Halsell approached the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors July 8 with a request to waive approximately $2,400 in planning and development fees.

While the request passed in theory, the board has not approved the funds.

Since the July meeting, Halsell said, he had fulfilled the board’s request for the Pules’ income tax forms, and that he was hopeful the supervisors would approve the fee waiver with the necessary four votes.

Kevin works as an automotive technician at Jaekel’s Automotive on Betteravia Road, and Maria is working in a temporary coordinator position at the Santa Maria YMCA.

Another roadblock Halsell has hit has to do with school district fees based on the square footage of livable space. Approximately 900 square-feet is to be added to the Pules’ home, and Halsell must now take the fee waiver request to the appropriate school boards.

Between the Orcutt Union School District and the Santa Maria Joint Unified High School District, the fees add up to approximately $4,000, Halsell said.

Sam Womack can be reached at 739-2218 or swomack@santamariatimes.com.

August 7, 2008