Video: Students From St. Louis Area School Help Build House For Local Family

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TUPELO, MISS. (WCBI) – Before this school trip, Michael Burns had never stepped foot on a
construction site.

But Tuesday morning, Burns was helping secure a truss on a Tolbert Street
house.

He is part of a group of ten seniors at Bishop DuBourg High School in St.
Louis.  Each year, seniors at the Catholic school are required to perform 70
hours of work as part of a church service project.

“Our school motto is faith in Christ and service to others so it’s kind of
our entire school is focused on service,” said Senior Hannah Moran.

They have made a lot of progress in seven days. They started at the work
site with only a foundation and they credit the speed to the man in charge.

“Well, Wes kind of really showed us how to do everything,” said Senior Michael Burns.

As construction manager for Northeast Mississippi Habitat for Humanity, Wes
Partin oversees all building projects.

“I love building houses for people that are not fortunate enough to be able
to go to the bank and buy a house, and working with these great volunteers
that we get,” Partin said.

And volunteers are a vital part of any Habitat building project.

“Most of our houses are built with volunteer labor, other partners and the
partners we put into the homes, do have to work on the houses,” said Katie Wright, board member with NE MS Habitat for Humanity.

Everyone on this project believes they have received a huge blessing and
learned valuable lessons.

“The beauty for me as president is I don’t get that much direct student
contact because I’m out raising money, working with donors, here I get a
close up of who they really are, how they treat one another,” said Fr. Michael Lydon, president of Bishop DuBourg High School.

“I like doing it cause I get to be with my friend and I like, yesterday, the
woman whose house is going to be came down here, and she was so happy, she
had this huge smile on her face, gave us all hugs, it just felt really good
knowing I was helping to be a part of a big change for her life and her
family,” said Senior Amanda Sulz.

The Tolbert Street house should be finished by the middle of March.

Habitat is always looking for volunteers, for more information go to www.nemshabitat.org