Palmetto students help piece together Habitat homes

PALMETTO — Two designers, two houses and two days.

With help from more than 100 Palmetto High School students and plenty of business donations, HGTV Design Star contestant Jason Champion and Sarasota resident Mark Dalton will put the finishing touches on the county’s latest Habitat for Humanity homes this weekend.

It’s all part of a Habitat design challenge slated to start Friday.

From beds and cabinets to dressers and desks, about 130 construction technology class students spent Monday piecing together bedroom furniture donated by IKEA. The items constructed will go inside the 98th and 99th Habitat homes at Washington Park in Palmetto, at the intersection of Second Avenue West and 25th Street West.

Champion and Dalton, author of “Chic on the Cheap,” will compete and design the latest Habitat homes using donated items from Target, Lowe’s and Habitat’s Restore, a retail outlet that accepts new and used donated materials to resell to the public.

On Friday, the designers have 24 hours, 1,100 square feet of living space and a limited budget to style the two homes. The design challenge will be aired on METV later this year.

Prior to the challenge, each designer met with the future homeowners to get to know them and their preferences, styles and needs. Dalton linked up with Keosha Newton, a Daughtry Elementary School teacher and single mom with two children who will move into the home.

“It went really great,” Dalton said. “I even invited her to see my house and to help her with what direction she wants to go.”

Newton and the other soon-to-be-homeowner — Corey Hills, a single dad with three daughters — are expected to see their completed homes Sunday.

“It’s been stressful not having a home,” said Newton, 26. “I can’t wait to be able to come home to my first home and have my own yard so my kids can play.”

Six Palmetto High School students, including Wesley Lee, 17, will help paint, hang artwork and install molding in the homes.

As he put together a computer desk Monday afternoon, Lee said he was excited about helping out those in need and is prepared to do whatever is asked of him.

“I think it’s sweet,” said Lee as he used a power screwdriver on the desk inside a portable classroom at Palmetto High School.

A premiere party for the homes is also set for Nov. 14.

“Also, that day we will celebrate building the 100th home in Manatee County,” said Habitat CEO Rob Turner said. “It’s a great opportunity for us to celebrate with our families and our volunteers the good work that has come in the last 15 years.”

The 100th home will be constructed next to the 98th and 99th homes in Washington Park. There are 12 homes there. The Village of the Palms is home to 34 Habitat houses. The other homes are scattered throughout Manatee.

Turner said he is grateful for the businesses’ donations and especially for the high school students’ work.

“I think it’s great they want to give back to the community,” Turner said.

For three days after the challenge, a tour is slated to showcase the finished homes. The tour will also have home experts giving demonstrations each day.

Dalton’s assistant, Jennifer Sanchez, said she asked Palmetto students to help.

“I know their abilities and they already have a connection with Habitat,” said Sanchez, who graduated from Palmetto in 2005.

The students helped put the furniture together during three separate periods in their construction technology classes taught by instructor Bob Lounds.

“We started with 21 boxes and got everything built,” said Lounds. “When the bell rang, some of them said they didn’t want to leave.”

Twice a year, Future Builders of America students from Manatee Technical Institute and Manatee, Palmetto and Southeast high schools participate in a Habitat work day.

The school is also in negotiations with Habitat to build a Habitat house in Palmetto, Lounds said. If approved, the house would be built on school property off 17th Street West and then moved to its final resting spot, he said.