Young adults who have had some stumbles along the way are getting a fresh start, with a chance to get their GED, and at the same time learn some valuable life skills. The program is "YouthBuild Omaha" put on by Goodwill Industries.
Monday through Thursday, students go to classes half of the day and show up for construction duty near 33rd and Manderson the other half. They're working on a house for Habitat for Humanity.
With every swing of the hammer, students are building more than just a house, they are building their futures.
"It's fun, it's better than sitting in school," said student Jared Heifner. "It's more hands on and the classes are a lot shorter."
"Oh yeah, to give back to the community, it makes me feel good when I go home at night," added Jacob Jewett, another student.
Students with YouthBuild Omaha have been working on the home since September.
"The floor was already built, but we're putting up the walls, and then we put up the tresses and we started it from the ground up pretty much after that," said student Eric Newton.
With the help of instructors, students are able to learn the steps of building a house and seeing a project through.
"It's been great, I go home everyday and I'm pretty happy that they've come a long, long way since they started, so I couldn't be more pleased with them," said construction trainer, Kyle Argall.
"A lot of these young people haven't had consistent work history, and by coming here everyday, they're learning how to be responsible and they're also learning some construction trait skills," Elizabeth Startzer, Youth Services Manager with Goodwill.
Marcus Thompson has bigger plans once he gets his GED. He hopes to go on to college and earn multiple degrees, all thanks to the YouthBuild program.
"It's just a better experience, like a breath of fresh air, second chance, I'm on the right track and getting up every morning as opposed to just doing nothing everyday, so it's been a great experience," said Thompson.
It's a project that not only helps the students, but also the family who will live inside the walls they build.
If you are interested in applying for the program, call 402-231-1976 or apply in person at Goodwill at 1111 South 41st Street. They are still accepting new students. Each student usually takes about nine months to complete the program.
The house is expected to be finished by May at the latest.
