Rebuilding Young Lives and Communities
100 People Join in Constructing 'Green' Home for Family That Lost Trailer in Hurricane
By David Betancourt
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, March 18, 2009; B02
Corey Carswell was headed nowhere when two YouthBuild recruiters approached him seven months ago with this offer: Join us, and help us rebuild your community.

At the time, he was homeless and out of work and hadn't attended school since 2004.

But now the 22-year-old has a job, an apartment and plans to get his general equivalency diploma.

"I now have a passion to finish school, get my GED and get a higher education," Carswell said. "I'd like to be a general contractor or work for a big organization."

Yesterday on the Mall, Carswell joined first lady Michelle Obama and 100 young people from across the country to construct an environmentally friendly home for a family in Texas whose mobile home was damaged in July by Hurricane Dolly. The event also celebrated YouthBuild's anniversary.

The organization, founded in East Harlem, N.Y., in 1978, focuses on giving low-income people ages 16 to 24 a chance to rebuild their communities and their lives. Since 1994, groups across the country have built 18,000 units of low-income housing.

The home on the Mall was built with recycled wood, inexpensive but long-lasting cement siding and windows designed to keep energy bills down.

Rebuilding lives is just as important, said Richard Halpin, founder and chief executive of American Youthworks, a national partner of YouthBuild.

"If we make America's youth a part of the solution," Halpin said, "they won't be a part of the problem."

At the time he was approached in his Southeast Washington neighborhood, Carswell said, he sold drugs and slept in a shelter. Since he joined YouthBuild in August, Carswell said, the family atmosphere and mentorship -- new experiences for him -- helped to turn his life around.

"They showed me another way," he said.

The same was true for Sydney Jimason, 22, of Northeast, who dropped out of high school when she learned she was pregnant; her son is now almost 3.

"I wasn't paying attention in school," she said. "I wasn't going to class."

Jimason said YouthBuild helped her learn construction skills that she hopes will lead to a job. But Jimason said she also enjoys helping people.

"It makes me feel good that I'm able to help somebody," she said. "It's great because there are a lot of people who need help."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/17/AR2009031703003_pf.html



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