February 21, 2018
Yakima, WA – February 20, 2018 – Construction is underway in Yakima to build a Habitat for Humanity home, and the organization has partnered with Perry Tech to give students an out-of-classroom learning experience. Students in the Construction, HVAC, and Electrical programs will apply their skills under the leadership of industry experts such as Darin Peters, head of the Perry Tech Construction program. The new Perry Tech Plumbing program will also have a chance to help with Habitat programs in the future.
“Partnering with Habitat will give Perry Tech a unique opportunity,” Peters explained, “making sure that our students have an experience that can help better prepare them for the future.”
The property, located near West Nob Hill Boulevard and South 11th Avenue, is only 5 minutes from the Perry Tech campus. Peters says it’s an ideal location. “Our goal for this program is to help students apply the academic skills they are learning in school to solve real-world issues and, ultimately, show them how their education directly relates to their career interests and aspirations. We want students to be able to answer the age-old question of ‘why do I need to learn this?’”
Habitat for Humanity homeowners are required to play a hands-on role investing in their house - from putting in a certain number of sweat equity hours to taking financial education and budgeting classes. The husband and wife of the family both work in the fruit industry and have four children under the age of 13, one with special needs. The groundbreaking took place in November, where the family expressed their gratitude for everyone helping them.
Habitat for Humanity was founded in 1976 as a grassroots effort to help build better communities. The Christian housing organization has since grown to become a leading global nonprofit working in more than 70 countries. The Perry Tech project is Habitat’s 181st home in the Yakima Valley, and the family is expected to move in this summer.
Perry Tech President Christine Coté visits the project whenever she can to thank the students for their hard work. “We are excited about this partnership,” said Coté, “for our students to have the opportunity to gain valuable skills while giving back to our community.”
“We’re excited to be partnering with Perry Tech,” said Isabel Garcia, Executive Director at Yakima Valley Partners Habitat for Humanity. “We view this partnership as an investment in building homes, community and hope.”
