Youth Alliance partnership allows students to build skills
By Kirsten Stokes
Students in the area are using perseverance to shape their future, proudly displaying their ability to build a home.
Area high schoolers with the St. Joseph Youth Alliance are involved in the construction group and will rebuild a home located at 2522 S. 11 St.
Ben Girard, YouthBuild Construction Supervisor said this group effort is the future of how homes should be remodeled in St Joseph.
“It allows somebody else to take ownership of the property, get all of the paperwork going and all that stuff,” Girard said. “Then we kind of come in and we just handle the contracting part, which is super nice, I think, for both hands.”
The opportunity was made possible by the work of a local nonprofit, the Housing Improvement Initiative. Mostly powered by private investments, donations, and government grants the group strives to incorporate partnerships in the St. Joseph community to reinstate homes.
Pitching in on the work, are young students Jeichellyn Repercil and Savion Bernard, involved with YouthBuild since October. They both are working to build a better life for themselves after hard times this year.
“I actually moved from Hawaii, so I’m up here, and, it’s been a rough year for me,” Repercil said. “I’ve been learning a lot thanks to them and I’m thinking about moving back to Hawaii to do some construction down there.”
Bernard said he wants to build tiny homes in the future because of his mother.
“I’m in construction full time, so it’s been full steam ahead,” Bernard said. “My mom wants me to build our tiny house, so that’s what I’m looking forward to getting the knowledge to do and making some money.”
The home needs to be finished in two years to follow grant requirements and with the help of these students and the partnership with HII, Girard said there is always worry with a timeline, but is confident they will get the job done.
“We don’t work 40 hours a week here,” Girard said. They’re all working on their high school education and so it’s not just all about construction, but construction is a large part of what it’s about.”
