Heritage Academy students, parents and alumni have decided they can build it, if they build it together.
For the school's first Senior Leadership Initiative project, the Heritage Academy Class of 2010 is leading the student body in leaving behind a legacy for the school and the community, by building a Habitat for Humanity house for a future teacher on Kidd Road in Caledonia.
At a recent leadership retreat in Forrest, the senior class participated in team-building activities, began an effort to mentor seventh-grade students, and decided on the Habitat for Humanity build as its senior project.
“We challenged our senior class to step up and to really think of how they wanted to lead the school and what their legacy was going to be, upon graduation, in their school, community and families,” said Rebecca Partain, a part-time Heritage teacher, who is co-chairing the Senior Leadership Initiative, with teacher Chad Kingsbury. “They unanimously chose to build a Habitat House, which we’re calling the Heritage House.”
The Heritage House will be a three-bedroom, two-bathroom house in Caledonia and will go to a Crawford resident, who plans to move to Caledonia and will graduate, in December, with a degree in education from Mississippi State University.
The new homeowner, Shala Hines, has two children in college and a 4-month old grandchild.
Hines has worked two jobs, including being an assistant teacher at West Lowndes Elementary School, while taking classes.
She has been living in a mobile home with a leaky roof, problems with mold, no heat and only one functional bathroom.
“It’s a schoolwide effort,” Partain said, noting alumni, parents and students, including elementary school children, will be involved.
“They loved the idea of actually getting to build a house and they loved the idea of actually helping someone in their own community,” she added of the Heritage Academy seniors, who chose to build the Heritage House over projects involving international ministries. “The seniors have been stoked about it. They are ready to go; they can’t wait! And the school is excited. Even the younger kids are excited.”
“The goal is to have the house finished before they graduate,” said Kathy Arinder, director of Columbus-Lowndes Habitat for Humanity.
While schools have partnered with Habitat to build homes, Arinder said a school taking on the entire project is a first.
“We’ve never had a senior class — or any class — and a school take on an entire project,” Arinder said, noting the students plan to provide meals for workers at the site during workdays, work on construction of the home, provide and solicit donations of materials and offer help with landscaping.
“I don’t really think that they realize what an impact they will have on the community once this is started,” Arinder said. “I’m hoping it will bring awareness, and other people will want to be involved (with Habitat). People are living in such deplorable conditions, right here in our community.”
A formal ground-breaking ceremony for the build will be held Oct. 18 on the Heritage House build site.
The school received an offer to help clear the land and lay the foundation for the 1,000-square-foot home, but still needs the help of individuals with construction skills, who are willing to donate their time to oversee certain segments of the build.
Additionally, material donations are needed to help defray overall construction costs.
For more information or to help, contact Partain via e-mail at rpartain@heritagepatriots.com or via phone at Heritage Academy at 662-327-5272.
Kristin Mamrack is a staff reporter for The Commercial Dispatch.
