Students in construction engineering aren’t strangers to framing floors and walls, installing drywall, insulation, and siding, or constructing cabinets and fences. Since 2006, they have spent their spring breaks putting these skills to work for neighbors in need.
From March 11 to March 19, 2011, 40 members of the Iowa State University Associated General Contractors (AGC) student chapter put in 2,700 hours of community service project work in Eastern Iowa, helping those who are still rebuilding and repairing their communities after the flooding that hit the area in 2008.
“It is important to continue this work because even three years after the flooding there are still families living in homes with no drywall, flooring, or even insulation,” Jordan Einck, AGC vice president. “Because that need is still there, we use our resources most effectively by staying local and giving back to those who can’t help themselves.”
This year, the group worked on projects in Palo, Cedar Rapids, and Iowa City, and also visited families and communities they served the previous year, receiving a warm welcome and many thanks. Some of their projects included putting up playground equipment, reframing the floor of a home that was severely damaged by flooding, and doing finishing work in homes and for a Habitat for Humanity project.