Student Built Home to be Dedicated in Ceremony
Single Mother Of Four Children To Be Told She Was Selected as New Homeowner.
The Fresno City College (FCC) Applied Technology Construction Program, the City of Clovis and Habitat for Humanity Fresno County will officially celebrate the completion and dedication of a new 1241 square feet home that will have 3 bedrooms and 2 baths in Clovis, California. The partnership between the three organizations official kicked off in October of 2017 with an official wall raising event. The dedication of this home will a take place on Wednesday, May 16, 2018 at 11:00 a.m. at the construction site located on 1605 Fifth Street in Clovis. Additionally, Habitat for Humanity Fresno County will officially announce that Stephani Lopez, a single mother of four, will become the new homeowner. Ms. Lopez and the entire family will be present for the celebration.
What makes this partnership so unique is that all aspects of construction were completed by the students in the FCC Construction Program during the 2017 fall and 2018 spring semesters. Construction instructor, Eric Nitzsche, supervised the project and is excited to officially turn over the keys to Habitat and its new partner family. “There are approximately 50 students working on this new house which also includes the Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) class,” said Nitzsche.
“We are so grateful for this unique partnership with the City of Clovis, Habitat for Humanity and the construction industry vendors who will provided such valuable resources and expertise to our students,” said Dr. Carole Goldsmith, Fresno City College President. “These students have learned from the best hands-on environment possible and have now earned their Construction Program Certificate in two semesters,” she added.
Habitat for Humanity International, the world’s largest nonprofit homebuilder, opened its Fresno County affiliate in 1985 and has built homes for 165 families, while serving hundreds more through other home preservation and improvement programs. The property on Fifth Street was procured by Habitat from the City of Clovis.
“Transformative work that impacts not only communities, but families and neighborhoods, takes a collective effort of the many, not just the few,” said Matthew Grundy, CEO of Habitat for Humanity Fresno County. “At Habitat, we build strength, stability and self-reliance through shelter, and that is why our partnership with Fresno City College and the City of Clovis is so special, it builds upon our belief that we are all in this together – and that our tenacity is vast and pure to improve the lives of those in need of a helping and loving hand.”
Eric Nitzsche has been with FCC Construction Program since 1996 and has built 20 homes of which two were duplexes. All but one of the homes were built for the Clovis Development Agency.
