Notre Dame Prep Students Prepare For Public Service Project With 'Tool Time'

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- 46 times, Habitat for Humanity and mostly college volunteers in Starkville, Mississippi have built or rebuilt homes for low income families.

A group of seniors at Notre Dame Preparatory School in Towson will help build home 47.

"We call this 'Tool Time,' it's part of our preparation for our trip down to Mississippi," says teacher Steve Pomplon.

It's needed because this is the first time some of these students have ever swung a hammer. Or, in Caroline Stallings's case, the first cut she's ever made with a circular saw.

They found its better for these budding carpenters in penny loafers to learn now, rather than later.

"Maybe about five years ago that we came to this realization," says. "We found ourselves going through some very basic instruction on the first day, and we realized that we were losing valuable time when we could be more productive on site."

Isabele Boote feels confident because "there's a lot of workers that teach you how do it," she says. "Like within the first day you pretty much know what you're doing."

Tara Hrdlick has used tools before, but not in front of her friends.

"I was kind of nervous, you know," she said. She was wearing a hard hat because, in her words, she's "a little accident prone, so I just thought I'd be better safe than sorry."

Public service and personal safety. A good combination.

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