The students painted, did minor repairs, shoveled gravel and put their backs into some landscaping. They sweated, and by the end of the day, their muscles were sore.
The work was hard, but it was for a good cause.
“I like to work, being outside with the sun out,” said Deshawnte Cardenas, a student at Coconino Community College. “I want to give back to the community. As a community, I believe we should be able to help out and do good work for each other.”
Cardenas was among seven CCC Construction Technology Management students who volunteered their time on Saturday, Oct. 27, at Sharon Manor in Flagstaff.
Sharon Manor is a transitional housing program and is run by Housing Solutions of Northern Arizona. According to the Housing Solutions website, Sharon Manor has a mission of “helping homeless victims of domestic violence and their children on their journey out of violence and poverty into economic independence, safety, health and self-sufficiency.” Housing Solutions builds affordable rental homes in Northern Arizona.
CCC Construction Technology Management faculty member Ken Myers said he wanted to give the students a chance to give up a bit of their day to help people less fortunate than they are.
“CCC is more than educating the mind, it’s about educating the soul,” he said. “Our middle name is community, so we want to make sure we give back to the community.”
Devonna McLaughlin, executive director of Housing Solutions, said, “We’re honored and very fortunate to have an ongoing partnership with CCC.”
“It helps us maintain the property and ensure that it’s safe, decent and beautiful to live at,” McLaughlin added. “And it also provides some hands-on training work to students who are volunteering their time to make sure this place stays lovely for victims.”
Through the years, CCC students have helped Housing Solutions with a number of projects, and they have seen how houses get built. Myers said the partnership has proven helpful to the students to be able to see, first-hand, construction processes they have learned in books and in the classroom.
“When they come out and look at it and feel it, I can see a bunch of light bulbs go on,” Myers said.
For more information about Sharon Manor, visit housingnaz.org/sharon-manor. For more information about CCC’s Construction Technology Management program, visit coconino.edu/degrees-and-certificates.
By Larry Hendricks
Larry Hendricks is the public relations coordinator for Coconino Community College.
Photo caption: Coconino Community College Construction Technology Management students volunteered their time Saturday, Oct. 27, doing minor construction and landscaping work at Sharon Manor.
Courtesy photo
