A special excitement surrounds the building of the State Farm/Rockbridge County High School house this year, because it will be Rockbridge Area Habitat’s 50th home! “Rockbridge Area Habitat was founded in 1989, and it took us 22 years to build 50 homes,” says Jim Kvach, board chair, “I hope we can build the next 50 in half that time.”
RAH is proud of all it has accomplished. “Our board is busy, our volunteers are dedicated, and our staff is committed. We all take great satisfaction in knowing our hard work brings about real change in this community. We’re delighted to celebrate the construction of our 50th home and share our achievement with the people of this community. Our heartfelt thanks goes out to the thousands of volunteers and donors from the past 22 years who have made our success possible,” said Lynn Leech, interim executive director.
Each year RCHS students in the building and trades program build a home for Habitat, and State Farm Insurance sponsors the build. “We are very happy to celebrate this milestone with Rockbridge Area Habitat and the high school. It’s something I know the students are proud of and will be able to look back on for many years to come,” said Mac Felts, local State Farm agent and long-time Habitat supporter. “Participation in a project of this scope enables students to practice essential building skills they can use throughout their lives, and State Farm could not be happier to give our young people such a wonderful learning experience.”
In May, the home will be moved the short distance from where it was constructed at RCHS to its foundation on Village Way, off of Greenhouse Road. Then it will take six weeks for Habitat volunteers and construction staff to finish the home.
Terry Foster will be moving into Rockbridge Area Habitat’s 50th home in late June, 2011. The latest in a long list of responsible, hard-working Habitat partners, Terry works in the laundry at Virginia Military Institute and is custodian for her Raphine church. Electrical, plumbing, and structural problems with her trailer prompted Terry to apply to partner with RAH.
Rockbridge Area Habitat has plans to build at least three more homes in the Village Way neighborhood over the course of next year. “We continue to be blessed with dedicated volunteers who help us make homeownership possible for deserving families in our area,” Leech says. “But our donor base needs to grow if we are to continue to meet the needs of this community. Individual donors are our largest source of financial support, and it is their generosity that helps bring life to Habitat’s mission to provide safe, decent, affordable housing for families in Rockbridge County.”
2011 RCHS Habitat Home Building Crew
Kurt Bennett, head of the building and trades program at RCHs, says, “My students practice essential building skills they will use throughout their lives. They learn to build a quality home while knowing a deserving Habitat partner family will benefit from their efforts.”
Seniors in Kurt’s building and trades class are enthusiastic about their experience. Tyler Prasnicki says his favorite part of the class is getting hands-on training while helping someone else, and Bryan Loan appreciates the class because he plans to build his own home one day. Brooke Southers follows in the footsteps of family members who took the course before her. She enjoys being part of a program that helps families to purchase their own home.
