PORT SALERNO, Fla. (WPBF) — “The footprint of this house is approximately 240 feet from the base,” said Robert Zaccheo, CEO of Project Lift. “Including the top floor, there will be approximately 426 rooms with two bedrooms.”
Project Lift is a nonprofit organization that addresses the mental health of youth ages 14 to 25 and teaches them how to use their hands.
Teens are building tiny homes for people whose homes were damaged by the historic tornado caused by Hurricane Milton in October.
A group of about 6 to 10 teenagers worked specifically on this house.
“The lens of Project Lift has always been mental health,” Zaccio said. “If you don’t get them clear-headed decision-makers, you’re not going to do well with them in the future.”
Two tornadoes struck Martin County during Milton, including one in the Port Salerno area that tore off roofs, blew out doors and caused irreparable damage.
One of the first people on the scene was Casey Cass, president of Casco Tools and CEO of the nonprofit group Save our Salerno.
The organization, which is only a year and a half old, was founded as an advocate for the community.
“I thought it would just be about getting scholarships and having fun events, but it turned out to be a pretty big undertaking,” Kass said.
“Save Our Salerno” takes action in the midst of the destruction, visiting neighborhoods with tarpaulins and other supplies, and partnering with Project Lift to build tiny homes in the wake of disaster. We have created a solution for homeowners.
“Our goal is to have them move in so they can live here while their home is being rebuilt,” Cass said. “It’s cost a lot of money for Project Lift to make that happen.”
This cost includes $75,000 per home in construction materials and labor alone.
This price also includes Florida Department of Health requirements, plumbing and electrical work, and transportation of the home on the homeowner’s property.
“If you just buy a house on the spot, you end up paying anywhere from $110 to $115,000,” Zaccio said.
For Zachio and Cass, it’s all worth it as long as the mental health of children involved in home work improves and the Port Salerno community knows they are supported.
“To fundamentally change people, you have to understand that you are a giver, not a taker.” “He gave more than a normal person could give in a lifetime,” Zaccio said.
“I come from a family of nine,” Kass said. “I wouldn’t be here now if people hadn’t reached out to me at different times in my life.”
There are currently two homes in this New Monrovia neighborhood. It is expected that more homes will be built, including at Manatee Creek, as long as there is more funding.
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