MBHS students finish construction of Habitat for Humanity home

It’s a Mountain Brook High School tradition dating back to 2002. Each year, students spend about two months fundraising and constructing a home with Habitat for Humanity.

The most recent house was completed on Dec. 6. Members of the MBHS Interact Club, which was responsible for directing the fundraising and construction, were at the dedication ceremony to hand the keys over to new homeowner Gloria Rogers.

The house in Trussville was completed in partnership with Mountain Brook Baptist Church, but students took the lead, said Interact Club sponsor Katrina McGuire. The MBHS Key Club also helped with the project.

“They are so great,” McGuire said of the students’ efforts. This is the fifth house they have constructed in her time as club sponsor.

Habitat for Humanity Volunteer Coordinator Eric Mason said each Saturday work shift brought around 25 volunteers.

“They were full every day we had,” Mason said.

The dedication on Dec. 6 included the giving of a Bible frame and picture collage from the construction to the family. Habitat’s Birmingham chapter CEO and President, Charles Moore, led the ceremony and said the Rogers family gave 300 hours of “sweat equity,” working on their house and others as part of the agreement to receive the home. They will make mortgage payments to help Habitat for Humanity build more homes.

“I know you’ll make this house a beautiful home for your family,” Rogers said.

MBHS students also stocked the Rogers’ pantry and some volunteers built a bookcase, which 2nd and Charles and the Literacy Council stocked with books.

During the ceremony, Rogers said that even if the students had trouble occasionally in learning to construct a house, they never hesitated to help.

“These guys have been amazing. They’ve been consistent, they haven’t complained,” Rogers said. “I really appreciate you guys.”

When MBHS started this yearly project in 2002, they were the first student group in the area to attempt to completely fund and construct a house. Many of the early students stayed involved with Habitat for Humanity. Richard Adams, who represented Mountain Brook Baptist at the dedication, is the father of one of the students who built the first house in 2002, in Fairfield.

“You’re carrying on a long tradition with Mountain Brook High School,” Moore said.