Huntington Habitat Volunteers in Charleston

Huntington High School Habitat for Humanity club members visited Charleston, South Carolina to volunteer their services in erecting houses for those in desperate need of it.

A dozen Huntington students made the trip, spending the first two days working on two Habitat houses in a neighborhood that has five Habitat houses in it.

The Huntington contingent was led by club founder and faculty advisor Robert Gilmor. The group was able to hear the stories of the families that will be moving into the houses the teenagers worked on.

One story was particularly touching. It concerned the first house the Huntington students worked on, installing siding and put the final coat of paint on the trim.The house was being built for a single mother with two disabled children. The usual build of the house was modified to account for a “Jack and Jill” bathroom that will be made safe for a wheelchair accessible shower as well

“I was really moved by the story that the coordinator of the build site told about the future owners  of the habitat home,” said Kiley Barch, who is the secretary of the Habitat for Humanity club. “To know that our work was going toward a single mom with disabled children made our tasks all the more rewarding.

The following day, the group worked on moving wood needed for the second house, which was still at the bare-bones stage. Another day was spent moving furniture to be sold and the teenagers even built a couch with no instructions to follow.

The last day was spent in Charleston, where the teenagers took a tour of the College of Charleston and explored some of the best the city had to offer.

Huntington Habitat President Mabelin Maldonado said the tour of the city and walking around downtown Charleston were among the trip’s highlights. They explored a variety of new food establishments and coffee shops. Meeting other Habitat volunteers and working alongside them was another highlight of the week.

“I enjoyed building with such an amazing crew, both the Huntington kids and the local volunteers,” said Emma Polinsky, who serves as vice president of Huntington’s Habitat for Humanity club. “I also loved exploring the city.”

One of the Huntington club members said the trip was a “great bonding experience.” Another said the trip “gave us the proper skills necessary to embark on starting our own Habitat home this coming April.”

“I loved being able to work  alongside a great group of people and having the opportunity to work with the local Habitat group,” said Gabby Loscalzo, the PR coordinator of the Habitat club. “I also enjoyed having the chance to explore the city and see new places.”