Huntington Habitat Sponsors Building of Home

Huntington High School’s Habitat for Humanity chapter members and its founding faculty advisor are on Cloud Nine after formally sponsoring the building of a house located at 1469 Straight Path in Wyandanch.

The project fulfills a goal the club has had since its creation more than two decades ago with the arrival of Robert Gilmor, who was hired to work as a dean of students and who quickly developed a club chapter of the organization.

The Huntington club donated $80,000 to Habitat of Humanity of Long Island to sponsor the Wyandanch house. Club members sold cookies baked by Mr. Gilmor’s wife, Janet, held regular cheesecake fundraisers and other events, such as a Color Run and collected donations large and small from community members.

On a recent Saturday, 15 club members were on the site and raised the walls of the new house. News 12 was on hand and reporters interviewed club officials .

“It’s incredible to see all our hard work pay off,” Huntington Habitat President Mabelin

Maldonado said. “This has been in the pipeline for years and I’m very excited that we finally get to put up the first four walls of our very own sponsored Habitat house.”

Mr. Gilmor called the sponsorship a “very huge achievement.” Huntington is believed to be the first student run club to fund and build a house on Long Island and possibly in the US.

“I’m so proud of all of our club members who’ve put in extensive effort over the past years to reach our goal of sponsoring a home,” Vice President Emma Polinsky said. “Helping out a Long Island family is extremely meaningful to me and I can’t wait to get out on the build site.”

Many of the club members were able to meet the new homeowner. “Being able to assist and witness the walls being built at this home was an amazing feeling especially knowing that our club helped sponsor it,” said Gabby Loscalzo, the PR coordinator of the Habitat club. “This project has been in the works for numerous years, and seeing all of our hard work come together is a great feeling.”

Decades after its creation by Mr. Gilmor, the Huntington chapter of Habitat for Humanity is still making history.

“It has been such a privilege to have the opportunity to serve in the club for these past four years,” Treasurer Kiley Barch said. “After watching countless families work on making their dream of owning their own home come true, it is that much more meaningful to see our own fundraising benefit the needs of a Long Island community member. I can’t wait to build with all our hardworking club members that made this home possible.”