Program encourages kids to stay in school

Since moving into her St. Stephen house on Thanksgiving Day 1979, Maggie Prioleau said she has never changed a thing about it.

Today, she practically owns a brand new home thanks to several local teenagers.

Prioleau is one of the beneficiaries of the Striva Community Youth Service program. This year marks a decade for the program, which has brought together rural youths and their community neighbors in need.

But Prioleau wasn't the only one to benefit from the remodeling. The 24 high school students who devoted their mornings to hammering and painting did as well.

"The purpose of the program is to help kids understand the need to stay in school," said Pat Goss, executive director of the United Methodist Relief Center.

The center sponsors the youth program. It's a nonprofit based in Mount Pleasant that formed in the wake of Hurricane Hugo, and it has helped more than 2,000 rural families with their homes.

The late Eddie "Striva" Carson, after which the program is named, started the service program in Huger.

Last year, the relief center, along with the help of the Tri-City Outreach Support Group, extended their services to around the Pineville area, too.

For two weeks each morning, the teens met with a construction site supervisor from the center along with college-age mentors. The mentors helped the kids by simply talking with them about their goals or possible career options while they worked.

Guest speakers such as artists, teachers, health care workers and other professionals also came out each day during lunch to address some of the issues the teens face on a daily basis.

"The construction is just a byproduct," Goss said. "We want to instill a level of confidence in them. It's more about character building."

Katara Stafford, one of the mentors from the University of South Carolina at Aiken, said she and the other mentors tried to learn more about the high school teens and gave them advice, such as tips for getting into college.

"It's a great experience," Stafford said about the program. "It's not about us but about the people we're helping that's inspiring me to do the work."

Goss said the program has high success rates with many of the past participants going onto college or having received technical or professional training.

Davante Theirse, 14 and a freshman at Timberland High School, said he already had some construction experience from helping around his house. But he said he thinks that the program gave him more experience to realize his future dream of owning a construction business.

"I like to help people," Davante said.

Along with the satisfac- tion of giving back to their community, the other teens also said that they have really benefited from the program.

Makeliah Reaves, 15 and a sophomore at Timberland, said she has done and learned a little bit of everything: from using a paint brush to using a hammer.

"When I have something in need of repair at home, I can fix it or I know I can at least help with it," Makeliah said.

Quataishia Montgomery, 15, also a Timberland sophomore, said she's learned better teamwork and communication skills but that she's sad the program is ending.

"I hope to do it again next year," Quataishia said. "It really gives us something to do."

Together, the teens' and mentors' efforts resulted in a safer and more livable home for Prioleau.

They repaired a leaky roof by stripping the entire structure and installing new shingles, applied a new coat of paint all around the house, installed new storm doors, constructed a ramp and handrails leading out of the house and fixed some electrical and plumbing problems among other things.

"These kids will be able to look at the house as they pass it and be proud that it was them that fixed it," Goss said.

As for Prioleau, she couldn't be happier. She said she's enjoyed having the kids come each morning to the house and will miss having them around each day.

"They've done a nice job with the house," Prioleau said. "I really appreciate what they've done. It looks too nice — beautiful."

Reach Almar Flotildes at 937-5659 or aflotildes@postandcourier.com.