Article and Pictures by Linda Charlton
Two non-profits and a police department combined Friday to bring a group of humanitarian-minded teens to the Presidents Hall of Fame in Clermont. It was a workday for the 13 teens, ages 14-15, who were on Day 9 of a 10-day trip. Original plans for the day included exterior cleanup, landscape installation, some astroturf installation, and a certain amount of painting in the parking lot. Inclement weather meant that the landscape installation and the painting will happen later, sometime in the next five weeks, with a different group of like-minded teens, all on trips organized by the same company.
The teen trips to Lake and Sumter counties, nine groups over a nine-week period (ending August 7), are run by Humanitarian Experience For Youth (HEFY). HEFY is based in Utah. The teens at Presidents Hall on Friday were from Washington state, and from Oregon, Idaho, Nevada, California, Virginia and Missouri. HEFY typically runs international trips, but with covid-19, the organization decided to organize domestic trips. They reached out to Habitats for Humanity all over the country, and ended up in Central Florida, staying in Habitat’s volunteer village in Eustis. As explained by Carlos Beren, director of volunteer services for Habitat for Humanity of Lake-Sumter, the relatively young age of the volunteers means that they are not allowed to use power tools. So the best fit for their efforts is Habitat’s Preservation & Repair Program. The Program is for private homes and for community gathering places. The Presidents Hall was nominated because some in the Clermont Police Department noticed that there was a lot of vegetation in the front (facing US 27) and rear that needed attention.
As for the teens, they are here to grow and to serve.
“I’m here to meet cool people from all over the world and to have a strong connection with them and to build my testimony,” said Julia Mansfield of California.
“I’m here to meet new people and make connections from around the world and get to know my God better,” said Anna Hampton of Washington.
As a bonus, they all got tours of the Presidents Hall of Fame and its well-known White House in Miniature.
“I think it’s really cool,” said Keely Carter, speaking of the miniature.
But for at least one member of the team, the most memorable part of the trip has been the time spent sprucing up a private home in Mascotte.
Chaperone/parent Charles Carter from Portland, Oregon describes working at “Miss Donna’s.” Donna is a single mom, a work-at-home mom with an adult disabled son. For years part of her income stream has been from gardening, selling plants that she raises herself. Health challenges, plus lingering damage from Hurricane Irma made that difficult. But she is now healthy, and the work the HEFY crew did has given her a jump start at getting back to her gardening.
Kevin Tucker of Habitat for Humanity is positive that at some point before the HEFY program in Lake-Sumter is done, another crew will be back to finish the job at the Presidents Hall of Fame. Besides that though, the teens will be spending time in Leesburg and will end up in Wildwood, all working with Habitat’s Preservation & Repair program.
According to Habitat’s Web site, the Program started because “we found that there were individuals and families who already owned an affordable home but needed a little extra help in maintaining and preserving the safety of that home… [The] Program works to preserve the existing affordable housing stock, improve accessibility and safety of the homes through exterior repairs, and revitalize low-income neighborhoods and community spaces.” The Program is not currently taking applications, according to the HABITAT FOR HUMANITY Web site.
To Learn more about Humanitarian Experience For Youth (HEFY), visit HEFY WEB SITE
To learn more about Clermont’s Presidents Hall of Fame, located at 123 N U.S. Hwy 27, visit THE STORY or visit the Presidents HALL OF FAME WEBSITE.
