When the opportunity came up to work with Habitat for Humanity, this Tampa Electric team had an ideal foundation to work from: their great experience the year before.
For the second year, a group of TECO team members constructed the frame of a new home in Winter Haven. Over the course of a few hours on May 28, they built and erected the structure that will form the skeleton of a home for a family selected by Habitat for Humanity of East Polk County.
“Once again, we had a really great response among TECO team members for this project,” said Rick Jackson, manager of Distribution Engineering & Operations. “About 90 percent of our ops center participated, and everyone had a terrific time doing something for people who can really benefit from the help.”
Jackson said the family that will move into the house joined TECO team members in the work.
“We’re proud of the great relationship we have with the families we work with and Habitat for Humanity as a whole,” Jackson said. “They appreciate the skills that our people – many of whom work with tools and heavy equipment as part of their jobs – bring to this important project.”
Suzanne McMillan, volunteer coordinator with Habitat for Humanity, praised TECO’s work to help build new homes for deserving families.
“The home that TECO worked on will be ready for its family to move in by the end of this summer,” she said, reiterating what Jackson and his team know well by now – that while it’s a big effort to build a home, the rewards are even bigger.
“Applicants that we work with might spend up to two years working through requirements such as homeowner and finance classes before they’re ready to start making home payments,” McMillan said. “When we hold a dedication ceremony for the new homes, they’re usually so overcome with emotion that they can’t say a word.”
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