On March 21st, a group of 15 Interact members alongside two chaperones, Mrs. Rizzo and Señora Luther, traveled to New Haven to participate in Habitat for Humanity. There, they aided in the building process of a home, which will eventually be provided to an individual/family in need.
What is Habitat for Humanity?
Habitat for Humanity is a nonprofit organization operating in all 50 states and more than 70 countries to provide affordable housing for communities. Some of these countries include: The United Kingdom, Germany, Ireland, Jordan, and Poland. Since their establishment in 1976, they have helped more than 62 million people find stability through their affordable housing projects.
Morgan students worked with Habitat of Greater New Haven, an affiliate of Habitat International. This is the second consecutive year that the Morgan Interact club has partnered with Habitat for Humanity of Greater New Haven to carry out their volunteer efforts.
How did Morgan get involved?
Since Interact Clubs function around the country sponsored by Rotary International, there are Interact Clubs outside of Morgan, where Rizzo received her referral.
Mrs. Rizzo, the advisor of Interact Club explains how they were connected with Habitat last year, “Somebody from Madison contacted me, and she used to be an Interact advisor, and she talked up Habitat, and she thought it was a great experience.”
From there, a representative spoke before the Interact Club during the 2023-2024 school year, explaining the experience and requirements, stating all participants must be 16 years old to take part in the activity.
As students demonstrated their interest, Morgan deepened their connection with Habitat and organized a day during March to volunteer.
Who qualifies/are recipients of the homes?
To be eligible to become an owner of one of the Habitat homes, several requirements must be met.
First, applicants must display a need for housing. According to Habitat for Humanity of Greater New Haven, “Spending in excess of 33% of income on rent, living in an unsafe, unmaintained, or overcrowded space, living in temporary housing, or receiving government assistance for housing all qualify as a need for housing.”
Second, prospective owners must devote “sweat equity,” hours into building their homes. To fulfill this “sweat equity,” 400 hours must be recorded of their participation in the construction.
Finally, applicants for the newly constructed homes must be able to pay housing expenses, including a mortgage. These expenses are made more affordable for applicants, providing financial support, but also stability and independence for future homeowners.
Financial history, credit scores, income, and monthly debt are examined within this process to verify the need.
Habitat for Humanity 2024
Last year, a group of Interact members, along with Rizzo, worked on the exterior framing of a home.
On a beautiful March day, the group worked on nailing the frame of the walls on all sides of the house.
With hard hats atop their heads and hammers in hand, they each climbed high ladders to aid in the structural efforts of the home.
The house was in a “very primitive stage,” explained Rizzo, so their tasks were somewhat limited, but crucial nonetheless.
Habitat for Humanity 2025 Timeline
This year, participants aided in interior efforts for a new home, a vast contrast to the year prior.
The following timeline describes their activity:
8:45 AM
The group of 15 girls from the Morgan Interact Club, along with Rizzo and Luther, departed from The Morgan School in route to New Haven.
9:15 AM
All students and chaperones arrived at the site and signed in to record their service hours and contact information for safety measures.
9:30 AM – 1:00 PM
After a brief explanation of Habitat for Humanity’s mission within the New Haven Community and the status of the home, students began their work in the following areas:
Light Fixtures:
The wiring for the light fixtures had already been installed, but it was the job of the Morgan students to mark the location of such fixtures for future installations and improvements of the home.
Atop a ladder, a string was held in the center of the fixtures with a nail attached to the bottom of the string, hanging just above the floor.
As the nail settled, an X was marked on the floor, identifying the center of the light fixture. Orange spray paint was then circled the marking to highlight the location further.
This task was performed both upstairs and downstairs to 10+ of the lights.
Insulating Spray Foam:
Several students worked upstairs and downstairs to seal any crevices, holes, or gaps within the structure using the insulating foaming spray.
The spray is used to prevent drafts and heat loss within the home, a critical aspect of insulation.
Caulking:
Similarly, a group of 6 students worked to further insulation using silicone caulk. This material is used to seal both air and water within a structure.
By filling gaps and cracks in the walls that are directly in contact with the exterior, meaning the outside walls, an airtight and watertight seal is created.
All heights were reached in the caulking effort: some students worked on ladders while others maintained at
ground level.
Roof Insulation Prep:
Using a staple gun, a styrofoam-like material was applied to the interior roof of the house.
This task was in preparation for future insulation that will be added to the roof, but this acted as an initial layer.
Marking:
The locations of outlets were marked using bright-colored spray paint.
A straight line indicated the piece of wood in which it was attached and a box with an X on either the left or right of the line displayed which side the outlets were located relative to the wood framing.
Sweeping:
Though it may seem like a trivial task, sweeping is essential to properly execute the insulation.
The corners of the house tend to build up with dust, dirt, and wood shavings, which inevitably prevent the application of silicone caulk.
All corners of the walls had to be cleared in order to properly insulate the cracks and spaces between the floor and the walls.
1:00 PM
All students wrapped up their assigned activities and departed the site. Upon arrival at the school, there was a debrief meeting in the classroom of Mrs. Rizzo, where participants shared thoughts about their time at Habitat for Humanity.
Takeaways:
Rizzo, who has devoted much time organizing and participating in community service, shared her passion for volunteer efforts, “the more I help people, the more I feel better about myself, my confidence rises, and I’m able to get out of my own being.”
That being said, Rizzo’s desire for her students was that she “wants them to feel humble,” during the experience.
In that way, it is understood that “it takes a lot to build a home” and the efforts are for “a good set of people who just don’t have the means to perhaps by their dwelling, through no fault of their own,” explained Rizzo.
This perspective was shared by student participants as well:
Vice President of Interact Club, Katie Nguyen, shared “This gave me a lot of appreciation for construction workers because it is a lot of manual labor, I was honestly humbled, but it’s nice to know that my work is helping someone own a home.”
This opportunity exposed many individuals to new processes, Senior Josephine Simon explained, “it was overall a great experience, considering I also learned how to caulk.”
Tasks like caulking, spraying foam insulation, and prepping roof insulation were all things the group had never done before, making the venture a learning experience as well.
Above all giving back in this unique way was very special for students. Senior, Olivia Siciliano shared, “It’s such a rewarding experience knowing that this house is going to help a family in need.”
