Habitat for Humanity Chapter Responds to Hurricane
Huntington High School's Habitat for Humanity chapter is all about helping many of the families that need it the most. An opportunity to do just that presented itself in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, which left a trail of destruction across Long Island.
"For the past couple of weeks, I have asked my members to reach down deep inside themselves and think of ways that we can begin to help in the recovery of the north and south shores of Long Island," said Robert Gilmor III, the chapter's faculty advisor and a dean at the school.
Huntington's Habitat for Humanity club has an exceptionally dedicated group of student members. The teenagers go to great lengths, including giving up their vacations, to build homes for those who are often in desperate need of housing.
Huntington senior Hannah Burnett took Mr. Gilmor's challenge and ran with it. "She developed a flyer, handed it out to neighborhood families and waited for responses," Mr. Gilmor said. "The responses have been great and now she is in charge of scheduling the clean-ups of houses in Huntington and then putting together a crew that can clean up the property."
Monies collected as a result of these clean-ups will be used by the chapter to fund transportation to what is hoped to be multiple south shore communities for reconstruction and repair initiatives.
"We have been tentatively approved for a trip to Breezy Point on December 22," Mr. Gilmor said. "With the help of [Huntington Superintendent] Jim Polansky we will have transportation. All we are waiting for is confirmation from the Habitat crew down there."
Although the winter is fast approaching and daylight hours are growing shorter, the Huntington Habitat for Humanity members are more active than ever. "I am very proud of all they are doing," Mr. Gilmor said.