Nancy Cameron-Franklin smiled as she held the keys to her house. The jangling of a set of keys is something many take for granted daily.
Ms. Cameron-Franklin and her family are the beneficiaries of the latest Habitat for Humanity home build in Chattanooga, and she is the proud owner of the dwelling on 14th Avenue in the East Lake community near the McCallie campus. The keys were handed over to her at a dedication ceremony on Saturday.
Students from McCallie and Girls Preparatory School have been working on the construction of this house every Saturday since December with other Habitat volunteers.
It is the 16th home build since 1996 in which McCallie’s nationally-recognized chapter has participated. Students gain experience laying floor, raising walls and a roof, mounting siding, painting, landscaping and fundraising.
“For our students to get an idea of the impact an organization like Habitat can have on a family is wonderful,” said Sumner McCallie, faculty sponsor for the McCallie Habitat chapter. “Through hard work and compassion, these boys are making an authentic difference for these folks and changing their lives.”
Mr. McCallie was quick to single out seniors Tanner Buchanan, Evan Loughlin and chapter president Jacob Maninno for their leadership on the project. Several school sports teams were involved in this build. The baseball team assisted with the flooring, and the crew team helped with the wall features.