October 30, 2020 – Friday morning, Demetri and Shaquana Perry received the keys to their new home from Habitat for Humanity. The home was built by students in Santa Fe College’s Construction and Technical programs. For ten years now, students in SF has partnered with Habitat for Humanity to build a home for a family in North Central Florida.
Although the home left the Charles R. Perry Construction Institute on SF’s Northwest Campus in May, the COVID-19 pandemic delayed the actual move-in date for the Perry family, as Habitat for Humanity awaited guidance from federal, state and local health officials before allowing volunteers to complete the finishing touches on the house.
SF President Paul Broadie II, Ph.D., called the partnership with Habitat for Humanity and the Builders Association of North Central Florida an innovative collaboration that serves as the “bricks and mortar of the college’s mission statement to add value to the lives of our students and enrich our community.”
Students in the Construction and Technical programs get both the valuable hands-on training needed in the construction industry, as well as the opportunity to serve the community working with Habitat for Humanity. The students were also assisted by the Perry family, who themselves spent over 200 hours working on Habitat houses for other people, before adding the additional 200 hours of sweat equity working on their new home.
Work on the 11th house built by SF students began earlier this fall.