Habitat for Humanity Palm Beach County

JUPITER — Less than a year after finishing an affordable-housing project in Kennedy Estates, Habitat for Humanity has broken ground to build 19 more single-family houses on the south side of Jupiter Gardens Boulevard .

Here’s a cool summer project: helping to build a better world. That’s the goal of Jewish youth and their families involved in a volunteer Teen Tzedakah Project on Tuesday . The youth, age 12 and older, will paint and landscape at a home on 23rd Street in West Palm Beach that’s in the Paint, Plant and and Pave program run in partnership with the City of West Palm Beach and Habitat for Humanity of Palm Beach County. The project is a collaboration among local synagogues, the Teen Tzedakah Project (from the Friedman Commission for Jewish Education) and the Palm Beach County chapter of Habitat for Humanity.

Habitat for Humanity is a nonprofit that builds homes for low-income, hardworking families who are not able to afford them on their own. They depend on volunteers to fulfill this mission, and offer a variety of involvement opportunities daily. One volunteer group of importance to the nonprofit is the youth, as they have many ways for children and teens to be involved. Suncoast High School is one example of a group that has taken advantage of the opportunities for teens to volunteer. Schools Greenacres Holly McAloney, 18, founded the club at Suncoast two years ago when her AP government class was looking for a way to earn their 74 required volunteer program service hours. Members over the age of 16 can participate at the build sites, and those under 16 have helped by making posters to promote the club, stuffing house warming baskets for families moving in, helping with annual Christmas party for homeowners and raising funds.

JUPITER — If it wasn't for Habitat for Humanity, Jamelton Cabrera and his three children would never have learned a how to grow fruit trees. The Cabreras were one of the first families to move into the 5-acre development off Indiantown Road in 2008, the largest project in Palm Beach County for the Atlanta-based organization. Like his neighbors in the other 26 single-family homes, Cabrera contributed about 500 hours of "sweat equity" and met income requirements.