By the end of the day, the three-bedroom house was completely framed and widow Clara Shuler and her five children were one significant step closer to obtaining their own piece of the "American Dream."

The home is being built under the auspices of the Freehold chapter of Habitat for Humanity, a national organization championed by former President Jimmy Carter and now by Congress. The charitable organization has built homes for some 50,000 families in more than 50 countries.

The Shuler house, rising at 31 McDermott Street, is the ninth such project for Habitat's Freehold chapter, according to its Volunteer Coordinator, Ken Curtis.

"More than 100 people donate their time and efforts for each home to be built," he says. "It's certainly a lot of work for one home, but its impact is so very important. We're not just helping one family, but possibly making a difference for future generations."

Habitat started work on the house back in April. With the help of numerous volunteers along the way -- including Local 5 of the Bricklayer's Union, the International Masonry Institute in Bordentown, D&D Masonry in Jackson and parishioners of St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church in Colts Neck -- the home was ready for framing.

Nearly 20 volunteers from the New Jersey Shore Builders Association, a Monmouth/Ocean County builders group, joined forces with others to get the job done in just one afternoon.

"This was a terrific opportunity for us to give back to the community," notes Dave Fisher, of Matzel & Mumford and President of Shore Builders, which is based in Lakewood and currently boasts more than 400 member firms, including some of the largest builders in the state.

"Obviously, there are numerous deserving charities, but Habitat is ideal for us because it's in our line of business, allowing us to utilize our professional skills to help make a difference. We were thrilled to provide experienced framers from builder member companies to furnish the manpower to accomplish this feat. We hope to do more with Habitat in the future."

When completed, the 1,200 sq.-ft. home will have three bedrooms, a living room, kitchen, bathroom, front porch and a basement. The cost of construction, along with the price of the lot, is $60,000, according to Habitat's Curtis. It is expected to be worth $100,000.

"We're selling the home to the Shulers at cost, with Habitat holding a 25-year, interest-free mortgage," he explains. "As part of the agreement, the Shulers must spend 250 hours to help build the home, and an additional 250 hours on the construction of a future Habitat home."

Widowed for 13 years, Mrs. Shuler never thought she would have the opportunity to own a home. Now, just a year after finding out that she met Habitat's criteria for the program, she's looking forward to moving in by Christmas.

"It was just so beautiful to watch," she said, taking a quick break from carrying plywood and handing out refreshments to the strangers-turned friends who were building her home. "Walls began to raise and the house was going up right before us. It's truly a dream come true."