Spring Break
Eastern NC family gets 'extreme' makeover
Brittani McNeill
Issue date: 3/19/09 Section: News
"Our role was to let the ECU community know it was happening and make sure that they knew the best modes of volunteering for the event," he said. "Because it was being handled by Edenton Builders we didn't want to speak for what they were doing. We just wanted to complement their initiative on the project."
Many ECU students spent spring break volunteering at the sight. Volunteers worked in the areas of food service, material management, safety, transportation, clean-up and site check in.
Many students from the construction management program volunteered their knowledge and skills for the project. Professor Bryan Wheeler, and instructor in the construction management department, said both the faculty and students "absolutely had an awesome experience."
"We had a project management team of about four to six people there working 12 hour shifts," he said. "We had representation on the sight 24 hours a day pretty much from Saturday, the 7th of March through Friday the 13th. Then we had probably 20-30 students come out and work in all facets of the construction."
The community response was so great that Edenton Builders stopped accepting applications for general volunteers, accepting only applications for skilled laborers such as electricians and framers. Wheeler said the construction management volunteers worked on many areas of the house including framing, foundation work, installation, electrical work, and landscaping.
"I told our students that there were three key things that we needed to carry with us through that week, and that was having a lot of flexibility, patience, and love, and a passion to serve our community and region and serve this family with our construction skills that we could offer."
The family spent a week in Washington, DC while the house was completed. The house was revealed Friday, March 13 in front of spectators. Peedee the Pirate and the ECU cheerleaders were on hand to keep the crowd energized.
"Really it was all about serving. I shared with our folks in construction management that with willing hearts we could get the job done, and we absolutely did finish the house," said Wheeler. "In four and a half days the structure was complete. The family was able to move in their house on Friday afternoon.
Many ECU students spent spring break volunteering at the sight. Volunteers worked in the areas of food service, material management, safety, transportation, clean-up and site check in.
Many students from the construction management program volunteered their knowledge and skills for the project. Professor Bryan Wheeler, and instructor in the construction management department, said both the faculty and students "absolutely had an awesome experience."
"We had a project management team of about four to six people there working 12 hour shifts," he said. "We had representation on the sight 24 hours a day pretty much from Saturday, the 7th of March through Friday the 13th. Then we had probably 20-30 students come out and work in all facets of the construction."
The community response was so great that Edenton Builders stopped accepting applications for general volunteers, accepting only applications for skilled laborers such as electricians and framers. Wheeler said the construction management volunteers worked on many areas of the house including framing, foundation work, installation, electrical work, and landscaping.
"I told our students that there were three key things that we needed to carry with us through that week, and that was having a lot of flexibility, patience, and love, and a passion to serve our community and region and serve this family with our construction skills that we could offer."
The family spent a week in Washington, DC while the house was completed. The house was revealed Friday, March 13 in front of spectators. Peedee the Pirate and the ECU cheerleaders were on hand to keep the crowd energized.
"Really it was all about serving. I shared with our folks in construction management that with willing hearts we could get the job done, and we absolutely did finish the house," said Wheeler. "In four and a half days the structure was complete. The family was able to move in their house on Friday afternoon.
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