On Saturday, high school students will spread out into neighborhoods throughout Brentwood in an organized effort to raise funds to build a house so someone else can live in their own house in their own neighborhood.

 

The annual campaign called Habitat High Knock and Deliver begins at 9 a.m. on Saturday. Students active in Habitat for Humanity of Williamson County chapters at Brentwood and Ravenwood High and other county high schools will deliver solicitation packets door to door in hopes of receiving donations.

 

Originally scheduled for last Saturday, organizers postponed due to the “extreme cold temperatures,” according to Ashley Hodges, Centennial’s Habitat sponsor and an honors biology teacher.

 

The Habitat High campaign will kick off 2010 for the nonprofit housing ministry, which builds an average of 10 to 12 houses a year. According to Steve Lewis, associate director of Habitat for Humanity of Williamson County, each group of students will go to neighborhoods zoned for their respective schools.

 

“The hope is that our families will return a donation to their respective Habitat chapter or club,” says Neil Skalitzky, Brentwood High’s Habitat faculty advisor and a social studies teacher. This year, student clubs will collectively raise funds and provide the labor to build a house on Carter Street in Franklin’s Beasley Place neighborhood.

 

A homebuyer has already been selected for this year’s Habitat High home.

 

 “It’s a misconception that the homes are donated. They pay $120,000 for it over 30 years. The only difference is that there’s no interest. It’s a hand up, not a hand out,” Lewis said. In order to qualify, prospective buyers must go through an extensive program that can take nine months to a year to complete, including 500 hours of sweat equity, Lewis says.

 

“The amount needed to build a house is $60,000 for the ‘bricks and sticks’ as we call it,” Lewis says. To ensure that need is met, Habitat chapters at Brentwood, Centennial, Ravenwood and Franklin High have committed to raise $12,000 each, while Independence High and Battle Ground Academy will pledge $6,000, Skalitzky said. Pledge amounts vary. As Amanda McGaugh, Ravenwood’s Habitat sponsor and a business teacher, explained, “Our goal has increased along with our school size.”

 

Each school aims for community contributions to make up a large portion of their pledges. At BHS, “We have about half the amount needed already, but not all the schools have that much yet, so they will be depending on this,” said Sarah Hayward, a senior and co-president of Brentwood’s Habitat chapter.

 

In better economic times, Centennial and Ravenwood have received $6,000-8,000 from the community, while Brentwood has been able to raise its total $12,000 pledge.

 

“This is our biggest and most important fundraiser,” Hayward said. Nearly 4,000 homes will be reached by Brentwood students alone. “Any extra donations would be wonderful, and if there is extra we usually provide the families with a gift,” she said.

 

In February, students will begin helping with the home’s construction. “Each campus will pledge labor, food and refreshments for two days (Saturday and Sunday) of the construction process,” Skalitzky says. Two schools will work on a given weekend during the eight-week build. Builders must be at least 16 years old due to insurance regulations, Lewis said.

 

Cooperation from all parties is key.

 

“It’s a three-way partnership between us, the homeowners and the schools,” Lewis said. Brentwood has participated in Knock and Deliver since the founding of its Habitat chapter in 2000, Skalitzky said.

 

However, this year could prove a greater challenge than usual, as freezing temperatures continue to chill Middle Tennessee. “Even though the weather is often remarkably cold, most students seem to have a great time. Some students finish their routes and call me to ask if anyone else needs help. I’m amazed at their energy,” Diana Tomayko, a Brentwood High Habitat sponsor and Latin teacher.

 

Also showing optimism, McGaugh said, “I feel that this year’s members at Ravenwood are more motivated than any previous group has been, and I expect our success as a group to be awesome as a result of such dedication.”

 

Even amidst the bracing temperatures, the motivation for those involved remains clear. “We want to help have an impact on affordable housing, by helping those in the community who want to work and live here to be able to do so,” Lewis said.