Et cetera : Maple 7 Builds Skills with Habitat for Humanity

By: Ashley Carmichael For four weeks, Maple 7 is working with the Greater Des Moines Habitat for Humanity in Des Moines, Iowa helping to prepare homes for families to move in to. The NCCC team is work on a number of different homes during their time in Des Moines, some of which will be new construction and some that will be rehab homes. Their daily duties will include painting, installing trim work and cabinets and performing finishing touches. Maple 7 is working on a variety of tasks and attending two housing dedications. To complete the finishing touches at one of the housing locations, half of the team is shingling the roof of a shed while others skillfully lay sod and place rocks around as landscaping. At the other location they help with touch ups on paint, as well as a few other small tasks including caulking the border of the window, installing blue board insulation, and cleaning the inside to prepare that house for its dedication. The team has also been focusing on another house, installing insulation and painting the outside. With three weeks left, Maple 7 expects to continue working on a multitude of different tasks, gaining many skills and preparing numerous houses for families to turn into homes.