Westside Tech students build homes, spirit in Habitat partnership

WINTER GARDEN — As part of the hands-on education for the building construction technology class at Westside Tech, students have helped Habitat for Humanity with the construction of some homes in the area.

Within this partnership, students get the valuable experience in their crafts that they need, while Habitat for Humanity saves some costs on its houses, built for low-income families in need.

“They’re doing a great job, and they’re doing it for free,” said Rafael Roman, multimedia design teacher and public relations representative of Westside Tech. “They’re doing it because they want to learn, but at the same time, they’re doing it because they want to give it back to the community. But now the community is thinking about them, because they’re putting in the effort to make things happen.”

Two of the houses are roughly a mile away from Westside Tech and along one street, just a few lots apart: one at 493 Bethune Ave., and the other at 555 Bethune Ave.

“One house we’re putting a siding on, and then for the other house we did the…frames for the concrete,” said student Luis Diaz. “It’s been good for knowledge outside of school. There’s different experiences with the build.”

Diaz said he and his classmates had begun working with Habitat for Humanity about four weeks ago, with these two lots in different stages of the construction process.

“We have one house that we are about to finish, and there’s a new construction two or three houses down,” he said. “They’re starting with the foundation, and I guess they’re going to build the walls and we’re going to help them in that process.”

As for when that first house will be complete, student Malcolm Layer said they cannot be sure, but that it is close.

The students have been working on the houses each Wednesday, with the option of working on them on a voluntary basis each Saturday, said Rob Moody, building construction technology instructor.

“For one of (the houses), we got to go out for the groundbreaking, and then right after groundbreaking, they went in and started working” Moody said. “They’ve all been going out and working on siding on the outside and whatever they need. From what I saw, they were the only crew out there.”

Moody said that his students were heavily invested in the projects and were actually the ones who had asked him whether they could get involved in this partnership.

“Whatever needs done, they’re instructed how to do it and what they’re looking for, and they’ve just been driving in and taking care of whatever business they can,” Moody said. “We plan on continuing it as long as we can, and then we can go out and help them some more. It’s a good thing for students to be a part of regularly. It’s a good partnership.”

Roman said his favorite part of the process was seeing the reactions of the families who would receive the houses.

“One of my favorite things that happened there was a young man sitting in front of the house,” Roman said. “He is the owner of that house, and he was so excited about what was happening. He was hoping to have it soon. For me, it was more about the impact we’re having in those families, not just…doing whatever work they need to be done. That was meaningful for the family that was seeing them work right at the spot and seeing that dream of having their own house becoming a reality. Of course they’re going to be happy having a new house for a really low cost.”

The most beautiful part was how workers could see those families watching their dreams become a reality, Roman said.