Last modified Wed., February 20, 2008 - 03:52 PM
Originally created Thursday, February 21, 2008

CNATTU donates 1,300 hours to Habitat for Humanity in '07

By AEC Raymond Derrick, CNATTU Jax PAO

From left, ATC Lucio Salazar, AEC Raymond Derrick, ASAR Vincent WElling and ASAR Kent Walkter finish up a sheet rock job for Clay County Habitat for Humanity in a home in Green Cove Springs, Fla. Photo courtesy of CNATTU Jax

Throughout 2007, the instructors from Center of Naval Technical Training Unit Jacksonville (CNATTU) volunteered more than 1,300 hours of labor in support of the Clay County Habitat for Humanity.

The Habitat for Humanity organization strives to eliminate substandard housing in Clay County by building and renovating safe, decent and affordable housing in partnership with the community and people in need.

Volunteers, families, corporations, congregations and donors within the community provide all the material and manhours to make this organization a success.

By finding gaps in between scheduled classes, instructors traded in their training aids for hammers and paint brushes and got down to doing some old fashioned manual labor.

ATC Lucio Salazar heads up the program for the command and works to gather volunteers when they are needed.

"I am really pleased with our instructors stepping up to volunteer their time to the program and the people in need this organization provides for. I know how hard it is to juggle instructing a class and still find time to volunteer for off-base projects like this. The effort to achieve this many hours is impressive," said Salazar.

The instructors at CNATTU look forward to working on a 12-home development being built on Palmer Street in Green Cove Springs this year.

The project will be named Burnett Estates after the first members of the Clay County Habitat for Humanity in 1976. "This project looks to give our instructors even more opportunities to volunteer this year and I look forward to working right along side them," said Salazar.