MCCTC students lend a hand for Joe Kaluza Project

Students in the Electricity Program and the Building Construction Program at the Mahoning County Career and Technical Center are donating their time to help build a new home for a family that has inspired the community.

Eight students, four from each program, are working to help build a home for Joe Kaluza and his family. Kaluza was left paralyzed after a robbery in Youngstown in March 2008. The project began at the end of September and is expected to be complete by mid-December. Members of the community have banded together to help build the family a new home that will better accommodate his needs, part of that team of workers includes the students from MCCTC.

As the only students working on the site, they have an opportunity to apply the skills they are learning in their daily class work and make contacts with professionals in the contracting industry.

The Building and Construction students, Gino Gentile of Canfield, Eddie Estok of Lowellville, Shawn Ridzon of Springfield and Dylan Smith of Lowellville have been working on the site for several weeks on carpentry, general framing, windows, walls and joices. The Building and Construction group will continue working on the site until the project is complete.  

Joining them on the site are the Electricity students, Shawn Beckett of Austintown Fitch, Zach Dankovich of Canfield, William Petro of Poland and James Pickett of Boardman. These students worked on the rough wiring of the house will return in to the site in a few weeks to work on finish electrical work in the home.

“This is an opportunity for us to get out into the community and give someone a helping hand who really deserves it,” Estok said. His classmates agreed adding that this project provides them with a good foundation of work and jobsite experience while helping the community.