In an effort to partner with the community, the school district recently joined Habitat for Humanity of York to build a house for a family in need as part of a project to be completed in June 2015. By Adrianna Clinton Staff Writer When the Red Lion school district first met superintendent Dr. Scott Deisley three years ago, he proposed an unprecedented idea to the district faculty, which happened to be one of his life goals: to build a house with Habitat for Humanity. No school district in York County history has ever partnered with Habitat to construct a house for a family in need until Deisley’s proposal in the summer of 2011. His life goal led to the fulfillment of a dream for the Moffitt family, a single mother and her daughter, who were on a waiting list for a Habitat house for about three years. Ashley Moffitt, 30, and her daughter Shaelynn, 9, currently live with two other families in the Spring Grove school district and have a living space mostly consisting of a bedroom with a bed that they both share. In order for a family to qualify for a Habitat house, they must meet a specific financial criteria and serve 250 hours of community service by helping build other Habitat houses in the area. Her hours have consisted of doing drywall, painting and gutting houses, insulation, and even building closets. Additionally, they must attend budgeting counseling to prove that they can afford the house. For the Moffitt family, the $90,000 cost of the home is being funded by students, faculty, and the community and will be paid back in a 30-year mortgage. No tax dollars are being utilized for this project, according to the York Habitat website. After moving from house to house each time her lease term ended, Moffitt is excited to finally be a homeowner and have her daughter in a stable school. Shaelynn is currently in third grade and can’t wait to come to Red Lion. “She wants to go to Red Lion right now,” Moffitt said. She hopes to play basketball when she moves into the district and she is excited to have her own pink bedroom, decorated with peace signs and moustaches. Moffitt’s daughter also hopes to have a window bench seat, where she can do homework and read. The 2002 York County School of Technology graduate grew up in Seven Valleys, a small town in rural southern York County, where she had a yard, dog and lived in a little community, an experience she wants for her daughter. In addition to making a stable home for her daughter in a district that will give her daughter the best education possible, the Habitat volunteers are “making a future” for Moffitt and her daughter. She describes the Red Lion community as being so supportive and that she hopes her own daughter will understand that “giving back to the community is a wonderful feeling” and will be “appreciative of little things” in her own life through the Habitat build project. As she was a teenager herself once, Moffitt says that it is “awesome” to see the community come out and help build the house: “I’m not sure you would have gotten me out there on a Saturday morning to help volunteer.” Even after the house is complete, Moffitt wants to stay involved with the Habitat program. “I am so honored to be a part of Habitat,” Moffitt said. As fundraising efforts continue, the York Revolution baseball team will be partnering with the district on Saturday June 7 as they take on the Sugar Land Skeeters from Texas, giving back 50 percent of each ticket to the York Habitat for Humanity and the Red Lion Community Build project. Tickets must be purchased by Monday, Jun. 2 as the offer will not be available on the day of the game. Construction began in early April at 101 Schoolhouse Lane in Windsor for the Moffitt family, who will move in the house around June of 2015. The walls and roof of the house will be raised during Blitz Build week, from May 20-24. Sign Up: To help with the project, log on to tinyurl.com/rlhabitat. Students must attend a safety presentation and complete a waiver form in order to participate.
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