After helping build a home with Habitat for Humanity on Oct. 15, National Honor Society (NHS) members are now planning on volunteering again in the spring.

“When you give your time and talents, it makes you think about other people and makes you a more charitable person,” NHS Sponsor Erica Marburger said. “Volunteering creates a stronger sense of yourself because you realize what you can do for others.”

Students were taught how to use tools like chainsaws.

“The one thing I didn’t expect was for them to give power tools to just anybody,” Marburger said. “They (students) actually cut a board and put it up on the house.”

Senior Moses Eboh said putting the nails into the metal hurricane straps was the most challenging part.

“I initially thought we would just be painting or doing other minimal tasks,” he said. “Although it (nailing) seems like it would be the easiest job, it wasn’t. We had to use pliers to hold it (the nail) in place and then hit really hard to attempt to get it in.”

Students worked for seven hours on day six of the home build, which consisted mainly of the structure of the house.

“It was a lot of fun just being out there and doing something good for the community,” Bich said. “I originally pictured the home in a big open field, but it was actually in the middle of a neighborhood.”

The house is given to families who apply at a discount rate.

“I was surprised by how much we got done,” Bich said. “We worked hard but I enjoyed it and felt really good afterwards.”

Members must complete at least 50 hours of community service every year.

“Some people who complain about work in school and who aren’t used to manual labor actually enjoyed it,” Marburger said. “Others found certain jobs challenging but they learned how to do it and persevered.”

Eboh said he gained a new perspective.

“Not only did we learn to appreciate what construction workers do but we also got to help build a house for a family in need,” he said.

Volunteering now will prepare students for their future, Marburger said.

“The whole global community idea is becoming more relevant,” she said. “In today’s world, businesses are requiring their employees to do so many volunteer hours because it’s important to give back.”

Bich said he enjoyed the bonding experience.

“Anytime you get together for an extended period of time, you have to find something to talk about or it won’t be any fun,” he said. “Plus, we struggled together in some moments which allowed us to connect more.”