A number of local residents volunteered to help build a Wells lobsterman a new home in a single week, as part of the ABC television program “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.”

The television program, which builds new homes for families who have suffered hardships, has been in Wells since Thursday when it removed Doug Goodale’s double-wide trailer and replaced it with a log home.

Some 1,400 volunteers have been assisting with the construction. Some volunteered to help a family in need and others because they thought it would be fun to work for one of their favorite television programs.

The duties conducted by these volunteers range from the mundane such as parking duties to the more specialized like carpentry and electrical. But no matter what their duties, the project could not have been done so quickly without the volunteers.

Scarborough resident Karen Vachon, who is active in many community projects, was one of the volunteers. Vachon got a call on Monday asking for her to come and help with some sewing. Vachon left her home and, after making a stop in Portland to pick up a sink for the home, drove down to Wells.

She did not stop by the work site. Instead she immediately went to her job location at Wells Urgent Care, located a few minutes away from the construction site.

Wells Urgent Care was one of several off-site sewing areas where small groups of stitchers busily made a wide variety of items for the home such as pillows.

“We’re all home sewers, we’re not professionals,” Vachon said.

Reached by phone during the afternoon, Vachon said she was working on curtains and assisted in making a bedspread for the new home.

“I’m staying here until they don’t have anymore for me to do,” she said. Apparently there was a lot to do before the “reveal” on Tuesday afternoon and Vachon sewed for 15 hours before returning home at 2 a.m.

South Portland resident Meredith Jordan volunteered at the work site for several days, helping with a number of tasks. On Monday morning she was assisting with keeping the visitor parking lot organized and running smoothly.

Visitors parked in an empty field and were driven by trolley to the work site, where they were allowed to watch the construction from behind a barricade. A trolley drove them back to the parking lot.

Like many of the volunteers, Jordan signed up through a friend. She thought it would be fun and, as a fan of the program, was able to meet some of the stars, which was a major benefit.

“I thought it was an experience of a lifetime,” she said. “It’s been awesome.”

She also enjoyed witnessing the house construction and the hundreds of on site workers who made the construction possible in such a short time.

“It really is a lot of fun,” she said.

Scarborough resident Sue Army was assisting in coordinating the volunteers, helping to find people, and getting volunteers oriented to the site.

“I’m far away from the house and that’s fine with me,” she said.

But Army has managed to steal some time to visit the work site and said the home that the crew has built is amazing.

“You get to meet a lot of nice people who are there giving from the heart,” she said.

The house is being built for Wells lobsterman Doug Goodale and his family. Goodale was forced to have his arm amputated due to a fishing accident in 1997.

It is unclear how ABC learned about the Goodales and not even his sister, Brenda Libby, knows who notified the company.

Goodale and his family were sent to Disneyland in California during the construction because show producers learned that his daughter wanted to see Hollywood.

Many family members have spent countless hours since Thursday watching construction. Libby has been there all week and said it has been an unbelievable process watching a house rapidly rise before her eyes. Her main surprise was seeing the size and intricacy of the home.

“I really thought it was going to be a much simpler home,” she said. “I didn’t expect it would be a home like in those catalogues.”

The home being constructed for Doug Goodale that will be featured on the “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” television program.

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