Twenty male students donated their labor recently to make life a little better for some Detroit residents.
The students teamed up with the Detroit branch of Habitat for Humanity to help insulate houses built for local families.
Habitat for Humanity is a nonprofit Christian housing ministry dedicated to building affordable houses for families in need.
Junior Nathan Liverman organized the activity to help the community in a positive way. Liverman is a member of Project Manhood, which is a mentoring program at Southfield High for males who strive to make better individuals of themselves. He roused his fellow Project Manhood members to join him in the insulation task.
“Never feel you are too big to give back to the community,” said Liverman. He said he hoped that the other members of Project Manhood would have fun and gain something out of this experience.
“This was a new and different experience for me, and I learned a lot,” said sophomore Kyle Covington. Covington said working on the houses was an experience that he would never forget and that it made him feel good to know that he was helping out those less fortunate than him.
“They got a sense of how important giving back to the community is,” said Project Manhood Coordinator Jay B. Marks. Members gained a respect for hard work and a good feeling for having done something good for others, Marks said.
In the process the teens also learned that insulation requires special handling. It made their faces itchy after touching it. They also learned to apply their math skills. The project involved mathematical calculations to cut the insulation to the exact size of the walls.
Project Manhood members will continue to work on the houses throughout the year.