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NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. – A group of high school students came all the way from Lancaster, Ohio, this week to help beautify New Rochelle, the Queen City of the Sound.
Kristi Mitchell, a member of the Interact Club at William V. Fisher Catholic High School in Ohio, made the trip with her dad as well as other club members for the second straight year.
“We’re excited to be back because we have the opportunity to do work in more areas and see the areas that we’ve worked on,” said Mike Mitchell, Kristi's dad and faculty club adviser.
“We always have a goal,” Mitchell said. “It’s such a great thing, and we can help with it. It gives you that good feeling.”
Mitchell, who had searched for ways to help, had contacted Habitat For Humanity of Westchester's Executive Director Jim Killoran to find projects. Killoran also visited the Lancaster school.
The trek to New York was the club’s finale for this school year. The students also completed other community projects in their hometown.
In New Rochelle, they taped, painted and repaired walls of veteran Jim Murphy’s downtown apartment. Murphy was grateful for the assistance because he is unable to do the repair work.
“I’m overwhelmed with happiness that Habitat for Humanity stepped in and stepped up to assist with the project,” he said. “I couldn’t have done it without them.”
Fellow veteran Bill Welker got the ball rolling by bringing in helpers to offer aid to Murphy. “I spoke to Jim about getting involved if he could,” Welker said. “As soon as he saw it was a veteran, he jumped right on it.”
The students are also helping with Habitat's community gardens as well as other homes in need of repairs before departing this weekend.
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