Habitat for Humanity recognizes Job Corps instructor
Columbia Basin Job Corps instructor Tim Mitchell, center, received Habitat for Humanity's Golden Hammer Award during a ceremony Monday afternoon. The Golden Hammer Award is given to individuals and groups who make a significant contribution to Habitat for Humanity.
MOSES LAKE- Habitat for Humanity of Greater Moses Lake handed out their most recent Golden Hammer Award this week, this time honoring Columbia Basin Job Corps instructor Tim Mitchell.
Job Corps has played a big role in helping Habitat for Humanity construct homes for Moses Lake families over the years. Students from the carpentry, painting and cement and plastering trades work on virtually all stages of the home building process, except for the plumbing and electrical work.
They work alongside other Habitat volunteers and the family who will be receiving the new home.
Habitat building manager Terry Hall said the Golden Hammer Award is given to individuals and groups who provide outstanding service to the organization.
"Tim has helped us on the last four houses," he said during an award ceremony Monday. "Without Tim, we'd still be working on the last one."
Hall said Mitchell and his students were at their last work site almost every day.
He previously said that students supplied about 99 percent of the labor on their last home, which was just over 1,500 square feet.
Hall estimated they spent about 250 hours working on the house each week. Work began last September and wrapped up in March, according to a previous Columbia Basin Herald article.
"We appreciate that," he said of the work they put in during the last project. "We thank you very much, without your expertise, we'd be in a lot of trouble."
Mitchell said he was honored to receive the award, but had to give all the credit to his students.
"It's the students," he said, as he accepted the award.
In a past interview, Mitchell said he enjoys watching students gain hands-on experience in the trades they will eventually go into. Helping Habitat also gives students the chance to see their work positively impact other people.
"It's excellent training for the students, it's real-life experience," he said at the time. "Then when they're done, they get to see how they helped build an entire house for a family."