Students help fulfill family’s home dream
A local family of five has finally gotten the home it always wanted. On Friday morning, Habitat for Humanity Lake-Sumter and members of the Construction Management Academy at The Villages High School presented the keys to a brand new home in Wildwood to Shane Thomas, Nicole Brandon and their three children. Thomas addressed the crowd at the dedication ceremony. “This means a lot to my family,” he said. “We struggled a lot for a long time, so to be able to have a home that we can call our own — it’s hard to put it into words.” All 13 VHS seniors in the construction academy were involved in various capacities throughout the build, from flooring to the roof’s trusses, to help them get a real feel for the work.
The Construction Management Academy is just one of multiple academies available at The Villages High School that prepare students for post-secondary education and the workforce.
“These are kids building a home like this,” Thomas said. “It’s amazing, guys.”
During the ceremony, each student was introduced, and construction academy instructor Bruce Haberle commented on their performance in the program. VHS Principal Rob Grant also was in attendance.
“It’s one of my favorite days of the year as a principal — being able to come out and see the accomplishments of our kids,” Grant said.
Danielle Stroud, president and chief executive officer of Habitat for Humanity Lake-Sumter, spoke about what building and dedicating a home means for students and the community.
“What you guys built here today will last past your time in school,” Stroud said. “And it will continue to invest in families just like you guys.”
The Brandon family put in more than 200 “sweat equity hours,” which included helping out with the build and taking financial literacy courses, Stroud said.
Habitat for Humanity Lake-Sumter makes sure the housing is affordable with a manageable mortgage.
Click here for the full story by Garrett Shiflet, Daily Sun Staff Writer