Restoring a burned house -- and hope for their future

The Youthbuild Program gives young adults training and job opportunities.
By ROB MEYER
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- The ceilings are charred and blackened. The floors are the same. Burned pieces of wall hang loosely from the house after a fire raged through it months ago.
Normally, this is a place to be avoided. But for Youthbuild Mahoning County, the house at 498 Madera Ave. is an opportunity -- an opportunity to restore the house and to help a low-income family own the house once the renovations are complete.
The house was once an eyesore for neighbors. FirstPlace Bank owned the house after the fire and tried to unload the property shortly after. The frustrated neighbors formed a group, the Northside Concerned Citizens, which came in contact with Herman Hill, Youthbuild Program coordinator. They realized Youthbuild may be able to help.
The group received a $40,000 no-interest loan from the bank to do the renovations.
"We thought it would be impossible to fix this house," said Herman Hill, Youthbuild Program coordinator. "But look at this. Once it's done, we are going to make a homeowner very happy."
The scene
Some workers were outside, carrying drywall and other materials in the house. Others were in the basement, painting the walls with a radio booming in the background. Two more were upstairs, working on restoring the burned structure.
Clifford Anderson, a journeyman carpenter, was one of two construction professionals on the job site.
"It's real hot up here, I know," Anderson tells one of the workers. "But we'll be fine. We'll get some water and we'll be fine."
Anderson said the house was in much worse condition when they started. The former residents left their belongings in it after the fire, which took time to clean up, Anderson said.
He pointed to the burned ceilings and walls.
"Pretty soon, all of this will look brand new," he said. "We'll get it done."
Timetable
The house will be finished in 90 to 100 days and will have new windows, doors, drywall, a roof, garage doors, electric and heating work. It is the second house Youthbuild has renovated recently. Five months ago, the program renovated a house at 2107 Ohio Ave. Now, a single mother with two children own the home.
"Owning a home is one of the greatest things in life," Hill said. "We help people with that chance, and at the same time, provide opportunities for young people."
Youthbuild Mahoning County is a comprehensive youth and community development program.
The Mahoning County branch is one of eight in Ohio and 130 in the United States. It offers job training in construction, education and leadership development opportunities to unemployed and out-of-school men and women ages 16 to 24.
Opportunities
One participant is Desmond Cochrane, 25, of Youngstown, a dropout of Wilson High School.
Cochrane said he joined Youthbuild because of the many opportunities it offers.
"I decided it was time to start working in some type of a career," he said. "I'm doing the best I've done in a long time. Joining the program showed me the light."
Members of the program receive a $500 bonus upon receiving their GED, along with perfect attendance bonuses and an hourly wage for work on the job site.
Wayman Washington, 20, of Youngstown said he first heard about Youthbuild on the radio. After dropping out of high school, he was looking for a second chance.
"I wasn't so successful in high school," he said. "I've met a lot of good people [in Youthbuild]. I want to take advantage of this and get my life back on track."
For more information on Youthbuild, contact Hill at (330) 744-2161, Ext. 246.
rmeyer@vindy.com