H-ton Habitat for Humanity Ready to Make a Difference

Soon after being hired by the Huntington UFSD to work as a dean of students at Huntington High School in 2003, Robert Gilmor III took the necessary steps to establish a Habitat for Humanity chapter.

Mr. Gilmor sought out some of the building’s most enthusiastic students as members. From that group came four especially determined teenagers who assumed roles as the group’s first executive board. They went about setting ambitious goals and raising money to establish a strong footing. Since then the Huntington High School chapter has thrived as one of Long Island’s most active Habitat for Humanity units.

Habitat for Humanity is a worldwide organization dedicated to eliminating poverty and homelessness by building housing side-by-side with those in need.

The Huntington chapter’s founding set of officers included Laura Ellman (president), Libby Thomson (vice-president), Cheryl Wayne (treasurer) and Katy Nastro (secretary). That energetic group made its mark and helped establish the foundation for the club’s success through the years.

A graduate of the College of Wooster in Ohio, Mr. Gilmor earned a Master of Social Work degree at SUNY Stony Brook in 1994. He later obtained certification as a school administrator through Long Island University. He was employed from January 1997 through the summer of 2003 as an Elwood School District social worker. He founded Elwood’s Habitat for Humanity chapter.

Prior to his stint in Elwood, Mr. Gilmor worked for two years as a social worker at The Opportunity Pre-School in Kings Park and was a special needs worker and sports and leisure night counselor for a year at Youth Directions and Alternatives in Northport.

At the time of his hiring in the district, Mr. Gilmor was no stranger to Huntington High School as he completed a school social work internship in the building from September 1993 to June 1994. He has also worked as a case manager for Suffolk’s American Red Cross community service program.

The 2024/25 school year will once again see dozens of Huntington students filling out the ranks of the high school’s Habitat for Humanity chapter membership. The group will be led by an executive board that includes Mabelin Maldonado (president), Emma Polinsky (vice president/treasurer) and Kiley Barch (secretary).

“I’m very excited for what’s to come this year for Habitat,” Ms. Maldonado said. “We have a lot of new ideas being discussed between the other officers and me. We’re still trying to reach our goal of $150,000 to fund a Habitat build near us, hopefully in the next few years we can accomplish our goal through fundraisers and possible events. We will still continue to volunteer our time to help habitat and families in need throughout this school year as that is our main goal in Habitat.”

Club members have traveled out of state annually for years, with multiple trips usually occurring during mid-winter and spring vacation periods. The club raises money to defer individual expenses for the treks, which are typically in response to some type of natural disaster that has wiped out housing for thousands.

“The club is looking strong going into the new year,” Ms. Polinsky said. “The officers have been working hard this summer organizing this year's schedule and planning various ways to recruit new members. We were excited to be able to participate in two builds this summer in Brentwood. The build site we worked on was very special because it is the first Habitat home on Long Island to be constructed using predominantly 3D printing technology. We are looking forward to the start of the new school year and planning our annual trip to either New Orleans or another U.S. destination during February break.”

The Huntington Habitat club welcomes new members of any grade level. It also hopes to receive community support and even corporate sponsorship. Interested in joining the campaign to make the world a better place? Send a message to Mr. Gilmor at rgilmor@hufsd.edu.