By KATHY CHANG
Staff Writer
OLD BRIDGE — Last school year, Carl Sandburg Middle School Principal Martha Simon and teachers put hard hats and goggles on for a good cause when they joined volunteers from Habitat for Humanity Newark on site at a multi-unit condominium being built for veterans.
This school year, students got a chance to do their part in construction projects with the help of staff from the middle school and a site manager from Habitat for Humanity.
The students built wall sections on Sept. 14 at the middle school. The sections of the wall will be shipped to a new Habitat for Humanity project in Newark, according to Lori Luicci, public relations coordinator for the Old Bridge School District.
This project is part of the ongoing commitment the Sandburg School students have made to help the community in a meaningful way.
The site manager from Habitat for Humanity guided the students as they learned how to frame a wall, windows and doors. After completing the wall sections, each student wrote a message on the walls.
Once the framed walls are installed, their messages will become a permanent part of a new home for a deserving family.
“Our goal is to provide opportunities for our students to give their time and energy to help others,” Simon said. “This type of project helps the students to make a direct connection between their efforts and those who will be served.”
Carl Sandburg Middle School participates in the annual Steps for Vets drive for the GI Go Fund, an organization that helps veterans with finding employment and securing their benefits, as well as providing aid and assistance to low-income and homeless veterans.
The GI Go Fund was founded in memory of former Sandburg teacher Gary Sapir’s nephew, Army Lt. Seth Dvorin, who died in 2006 from an IED blast in Iraq.
Staff and students had said they wanted to do more than just raise money; they wanted to contribute to a GI Go Fund project, which led to the partnership with Habitat for Humanity.
For more information about the GI Go Fund, visit www.gigo.org.
Contact Kathy Chang at kchang@gmnews.com.
