A Child Shall Lead Them
It’s often said youth is lost on the young. But the message of giving back to the community hasn’t been lost on a group of youngsters doing their part to fight the opioid epidemic.
17 young adults from CTI YouthBuild of Greater Lowell began work last week at the construction site adjacent to Megan’s House. They will return as often as necessary to build the back decks and porches of four houses going up to help fund the Megan House mission. Three of those properties will be sold, while plans call for the fourth to be raffled off, with all proceeds going to support the Foundation.
YouthBuild reached out to Megan’s House after the call went out for volunteers to help with construction. Volunteer labor has been a key component of the project, with Local Laborers 429 and numerous other individuals donating their time to help build the homes.
With two of the houses already under a purchase and sale agreement, the efforts of all the volunteers have sped up the process while also ensuring more money from the sales goes to the Megan’s House program.
YouthBuild of Greater Lowell is part of Community Teamwork, Inc. The YouthBuild program serves young adults between the ages of 16-24 who have dropped out of school in Lowell and surrounding communities, providing education and employment training to prepare participants for careers in construction and health care.
YouthBuild students may choose to learn carpentry and construction skills while they work together to create affordable housing in their community. In addition to hands-on training, YouthBuild students have the opportunity to complete a comprehensive vocational curriculum leading to a certificate valuable to graduates entering the construction trades.
Another important component of the YouthBuild mission is leadership development. By building affordable housing, participating in community service projects, building awareness of issues that affect their community and achieving goals, students graduate with skills and experience that build their self-confidence, enabling them to become leaders within their community.
Leadership development opportunities are built into each program component. Students may also participate on the YouthBuild Policy Committee where issues regarding program decisions are made. Click here to learn more about the program.
The Megan House Foundation, its Board Members and its staff, would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to CTI YouthBuild of Greater Lowell for their help with the construction project that is so vital to the future of Megan’s House.