Half of the students came from the school’s construction trades, with the rest coming from the culinary class.
John Garretson, the culinary arts teacher at Heritage, contacted Habitat for Humanity about getting his students involved with community service by serving food to volunteers. He also invited construction trades teacher Jerry Dudley to bring students. Dudley teaches electrical work, plumbing, carpentry, cabinet hanging, masonry and other skills in a hands-on environment at school.
“It was a great idea,” Donna Vincent, executive director of the Greater Lynchburg Habitat for Humanity, said Wednesday as the students worked with other volunteers.
For lunch, culinary arts students prepared tacos with pork carnitas and pulled chicken; Mexican pickled slaw; refried beans; a Mexican corn dish called elotes, which are rolled in cheese and spices; and apple and cranberry cobbler for dessert.
The students did much of the food prep in advance so they had time to help the construction students and other volunteers with assembling and hammering the wooden frames in the morning.
“Kids these days really don’t have a connection to their community, and it’s a huge problem,” Garretson said. “This is a simple way to get them out there, make that connection and learn new skills and make an impact.”
Eleventh-grader Kayla Manville said she liked the project because it not only allowed the students to show off their cooking abilities but also “do something new.”
It allowed everyone to do something new — even some of the construction students. Senior Ashtyn Shupe said he only had done interior work on a house before, so hammering together framing for walls was a new experience. His favorite work he’s done so far with the class has been electrical.
You get to see, ‘oh, I gave that power,’” he said.
Shupe said he originally took the construction course because it sounded interesting, but as he’s done more of the work, he’s started to think of it as a potential career option. The certifications students can earn from the class also can help with jobs and even college applications, he said.
Some of the culinary students also have aspirations of taking their craft beyond graduation.
“Ever since I was a little kid, I used to watch The Food Channel every day, and I always wanted to be a chef,” said Gabriela Canelon, an eleventh-grader.
Darlene Tucker, who is purchasing the Habitat for Humanity house the students worked on, said she loved that the students had a hands-on way to use their skills.
“Whatever you can learn, go for it,” Tucker said, adding she had also learned a lot as she helped with the wall framing.
Vincent said Tucker’s house — which is the 300th the Greater Lynchburg Habitat for Humanity has built — will be done by Christmas.
Garretson hopes to return to ReStore on a monthly basis with his students to continue to help with the house and cook meals, he said.
John Garretson, the culinary arts teacher at Heritage, contacted Habitat for Humanity about getting his students involved with community service by serving food to volunteers. He also invited construction trades teacher Jerry Dudley to bring students. Dudley teaches electrical work, plumbing, carpentry, cabinet hanging, masonry and other skills in a hands-on environment at school.
“It was a great idea,” Donna Vincent, executive director of the Greater Lynchburg Habitat for Humanity, said Wednesday as the students worked with other volunteers.
For lunch, culinary arts students prepared tacos with pork carnitas and pulled chicken; Mexican pickled slaw; refried beans; a Mexican corn dish called elotes, which are rolled in cheese and spices; and apple and cranberry cobbler for dessert.
The students did much of the food prep in advance so they had time to help the construction students and other volunteers with assembling and hammering the wooden frames in the morning.
“Kids these days really don’t have a connection to their community, and it’s a huge problem,” Garretson said. “This is a simple way to get them out there, make that connection and learn new skills and make an impact.”
Eleventh-grader Kayla Manville said she liked the project because it not only allowed the students to show off their cooking abilities but also “do something new.”
It allowed everyone to do something new — even some of the construction students. Senior Ashtyn Shupe said he only had done interior work on a house before, so hammering together framing for walls was a new experience. His favorite work he’s done so far with the class has been electrical.
You get to see, ‘oh, I gave that power,’” he said.
Shupe said he originally took the construction course because it sounded interesting, but as he’s done more of the work, he’s started to think of it as a potential career option. The certifications students can earn from the class also can help with jobs and even college applications, he said.
Some of the culinary students also have aspirations of taking their craft beyond graduation.
“Ever since I was a little kid, I used to watch The Food Channel every day, and I always wanted to be a chef,” said Gabriela Canelon, an eleventh-grader.
Darlene Tucker, who is purchasing the Habitat for Humanity house the students worked on, said she loved that the students had a hands-on way to use their skills.
“Whatever you can learn, go for it,” Tucker said, adding she had also learned a lot as she helped with the wall framing.
Vincent said Tucker’s house — which is the 300th the Greater Lynchburg Habitat for Humanity has built — will be done by Christmas.
Garretson hopes to return to ReStore on a monthly basis with his students to continue to help with the house and cook meals, he said.
“I don’t think any of us knew how to properly hammer in a nail,” Manville said. “Now I think we’re all pros.”
