H-ton Habitat for Humanity Chapter Preps for Big Year
Huntington High School’s Habitat for Humanity has big plans. The organization’s 130 members intend to be active on Long Island and more than a thousand miles away in New Orleans, where people are still struggling to rebuild their homes and lives after Hurricane Katrina nearly destroyed the southern city in 2005.
The Huntington chapter was founded by Robert Gilmor III in September 2003 when he joined the high school faculty as a dean of students. “Through the work of Habitat, thousands of low-income families have found new hope in the form of affordable housing,” states the organization’s international website. “Churches, community groups and others have joined together to successfully tackle a significant social problem; decent housing for all. Habitat has helped build or repair more than 800,000 houses and served more than four million people around the world.”
“We are planning our tenth trip to New Orleans on the tenth anniversary of Katrina,” Mr. Gilmor said about one of the highlights of the current year’s agenda. Dozens of Huntington Habitat for Humanity members have participated in trips to New Orleans and Mobile, Alabama, where a series of tornadoes played out over a four day period in April 2011. Still more have been involved in local projects, included recovery and rebuilding projects in Breezy Point, Queens, which was destroyed by Hurricane Sandy in October 2012.
The Huntington chapter is led by President Lana Ziegler and Vice President Kaitlin Dayton. The two seniors are collaborating with Mr. Gilmor on plans for a very active year for the group. “They have tentatively planned two trips to Breezy Point for the last two Sundays of October,” Mr. Gilmor said. “They have also talked about being more actively involved in the rebuilding of homes in Suffolk County.”
The Huntington School Board has approved the Habitat for Humanity trip to New Orleans on April 3-11. Trustees are expected to act on a proposal for a trip to Birmingham, Alabama on February 14-21 during a public meeting later this month. The two trips will be privately funded. Chaperones are expected to include Mr. Gilmor and fellow faculty members Craig McKee, Joseph Cohen and Suzie Biagi and security guard Youlanda Carey.
Mr. Gilmor is excited about the year ahead. “The Huntington High School Art Honor Society has taken on a very exciting project to produce art work that they will donate to the people of Breezy Point,” he said. “I am also personally very happy that our Habitat for Humanity club has remained committed to Hurricane Katrina relief for the past 10 years. We have many aspirations this year.”