Anne Digenis, Senior Philanthropic Advisor at the Community Foundation, chats with a group of math in construction students. Photo courtesy of The Community Foundation for Southwest Washington

Students from Evergreen and Mountain View high school are rallying together to construct a home for a family in need, an effort led by the Evergreen Habitat for Humanity housing program.

Each high school is responsible for building one half of the home, which will be moved to O Street in Vancouver sometime in May. The Frost family is expected to move in around August, after Evergreen Habitat for Humanity volunteers complete the house.

March 27th, Evergreen Habitat for Humanity received a $30,000 grant from the Community Foundation for Southwest Washington to help purchase more materials for the project to complete the concrete foundation, plumbing, electrical, and to purchase appliances.

Anne Digenis, Senior Philanthropic Adviser for the Community Foundation said that these grants are part of a larger effort to create awareness about intergenerational poverty and its contributing factors. This is one of six grants given by the Community Foundation this year to non profits and programs that address this issue.

Photo courtesy of The Community Foundation of Southwest Washington

The 97 students involved with this project are part of Evergreen School District’s Math in Construction class. This class teaches geometry and algebra principals that are applied to real–world projects.  This is the second year the Evergreen School District has partnered with Evergreen Habitat for Humanity housing program.

Since 1991, Evergreen Habitat for Humanity has built 29 homes in Clark County for families living in substandard, unsafe housing. Homes are sold at cost with 0% interest loans providing the family puts in 500 hours of sweat equity. Once the family moves on, they may sell the home back to the organization.

For the full story, watch the video above.