Steve Szot liked what he saw out of his right eye on Saturday when he watched construction begin on his family’s new Habitat for Humanity house at a ceremonial wall-raising ceremony.

Community members flocked to the building site last weekend, braving miserable weather.

“It was awesome,” Szot said. “We had so many people show up. I don’t know how to put it in words. These are just great people.”

The single father of three daughters lost all eyesight in 2003. A surgical procedure in 2005 restored partial vision to one eye.

“I’m now at 20/7 vision in my right eye,” he said. “It’s wonderful.”

Szot, who built houses before losing his vision, is helping erect the 14th house for Habitat for Humanity in the Redwing development off Heller Road. One criterion for qualifying for the low mortgage, interest free home is the provision of “sweat equity,” which the new homeowner will have no trouble contributing.

“We’re out here making mistakes and having a great time,” he said Friday morning from the building site.

Szot’s daughters Raeanna, Mariah and Jasmine are already well acquainted with other kids in the neighborhood, making the location ideal.

“We’re so close-knit with everyone in the neighborhood already,” the Chicago native said. “When we came out on Saturday, they just went over to a friend’s house. It worked out perfect.”

Szot’s mother and stepfather also attended the event. His mother, a Wal-Mart employee, spends half the year in Oak Harbor helping Szot raise his family. She then spends six months working for the company in Chicago.

The grateful father was amazed that he was selected by Habitat for Humanity as the house recipient. He is currently living in a manufactured home, paying approximately $1,000 a month for the space and mortgage and bringing in only $1,300. His children are his primary concern and the current situation is unsuitable.

“We’re out of the park,” he said. “The manufactured home is up for sale.”

The new house should be completed around August. The site is the fifth of six lots in the Redwing development donated by Bill and Kathleen Massey. A family is being selected for the 15th home to be built on the final lot, said Habitat volunteer Glenn Eckard.

“Finding property is a killer for us,” he said. “This helped so much.”

Szot is currently attending Skagit Valley College with the tuition paid by the Division of Services for the Blind. The future might see him again in the classroom, but in an entirely different capacity.

“I’d like to become a teacher,” he said. “That’s my goal, to work with kids.”