Photo by Nancy Royden. 'Extreme Home Makeover' house on West Lanham Drive in Hyattsville.

Published on: Wednesday, September 02, 2009

By Nancy Royden

The Tripp family isn’t the only one benefiting from a recently built home in Hyattsville by ABC’s “Extreme Makeover Home Edition,” but so are those who helped construct it.

Brandon Mitchell, 21, of Baltimore, and Delonte Warren, 20, of Washington, D.C., helped build the house for the couple, Nikema and Tamara, and their three children, Aaden, Ethan and Micah. Construction began Monday and ended Saturday with an official unveiling. Both men are involved with the Woodland Job Corps Career Development Center on Fort Meade Road in Laurel.

“I think it’s great for the community. It’s helping us with Job Corps and helping us learn a trade. It’s work exposure before we get a job. It’s good to work with different contractors,” Warren said.

Photo by Nancy Royden. Delonte Warren, 20, of Washington, D.C. and Brandon Mitchell, 21, of Baltimore, survey work being done on a house in Hyattsville, for ABC’s “Extreme Makeover Home Edition.”

Mitchell is studying carpentry and electrical skills, while Warren is learning about carpentry through the no-cost education and career technical training program administered by the U.S. Department of Labor. Participants are between the ages of 16 to 24.

Mitchell said his aunt’s coworker told her about the Job Corps program and she passed on the information to him.

Kevin Boston, business and community liaison manager of WJCCDC, said the Tripp family’s previous residence on West Lanham Drive was demolished and a new one was erected. The house’s space was increased significantly – from 900 square feet to 2,800 square feet.

“They demolished the house. From the foundation to the roof, everything is new,” Boston said.

Some of the duties program participants performed included placing carpeting and tile, finishing trim, hanging dry wall, installing counter tops and constructing beds, he said.

Saturday the house was unveiled for the family and Boston said it was a very joyful occasion.

“There was intense screaming and yelling and crying,” he said summing up the event.

Boston said the project provided excellent experience for young people who are participants in the Job Corps’ program. In addition to academic training, participants may choose career paths, including culinary arts, electronic systems training-cable installation, facilities management, health occupations and hotel lodging.

Since the program’s inception in 1964, more than 67,000 youth and young adults have been trained in several types of careers. The residency program lasts for 10 months to two years; depending on how rapidly academics and training can be completed. Additionally, participants receive assistance with job placement, Boston said.

To complete work on the house and yard, sod was put in place, and a front porch and deck were added to the exterior. Gates were also installed on the property, Boston said.

Joanna Hawkins, of the U.S. Department of Labor, said 34 students enrolled in the carpentry and electrical programs at the Woodland Job Corps Center volunteered to help build the house.

Not only were there skilled workers who helped build the house; there were also many volunteers who have varied backgrounds.

One of the groups to work on the projects was the United Way of the National Capital Area. Its employees and volunteers also conducted canned goods drives at the project sites.

“ ‘ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition’ has provided United Way with an exceptional opportunity to show the community how much we care and what we are capable of accomplishing,” said Bill Hanbury, president and chief executive officer of UWNCA. “We are taking a hands-on approach to supporting safe, affordable housing for residents in our area because a place to call home should not be a privilege for our neighbors – it is a basic need.”

In addition to the house in Hyattsville, the Fishing School, a community center in Washington, D.C., was also part of the television show’s agenda.

Shana Selender of the UWNCA said it took more than 3,000 volunteers and more than $600,000 of in-kind support for area businesses to make the builds possible.

Darien DiCamillo, spokesman for G&M Contracting Inc. and Burch Builders Group Inc., said the firms spearheaded the projects in Hyattsville and Washington, D.C.

DiCamillo said supplies and labor were done on a volunteer basis, and the planning and execution of the work were done rapidly.

“We literally planned this in three weeks. How crazy is that?” he asked. “On this scale, this is way beyond everything. We like the challenge.”

New Carrollton’s FASTSIGNS produced many signs and graphics for use while the show was being taped. Owner Tony Creamer donated $1,752 in signage, company spokesperson Jayme Cherubini said.

It took people with all types of varying skills to build the house and provide support services. Creamer said it was an excellent opportunity to help others.

“A project of this magnitude really takes a lot of dedication and hard work from a lot of different people. It has been amazing to see how our town has met the challenge and become involved since the Extreme Home Makeover crew rolled into town – our police officers, the local business community and especially the residents – it’s truly incredible and I am very proud to have the chance to be part of it,” he said.

BUSINESS DONATES FREE MEALS FOR 'EXTREME HOME MAKEOVER' FAMILY

By Jessica Bauer

Special to the Sentinel

The lucky family who received an “Extreme Makeover” on their home just got luckier with the donation of gourmet meals for two months.

Homemade Gourmet, a company dedicated to providing quick and easy-to-prepare nutritious meals, donated 65 meals to the Hyattsville family who received their new home this past Sunday.

Joyce Mallwitz, an independent consultant for Homemade Gourmet, said that the company “provides easy mixes. They are all the dry ingredients that you need to prepare nutritious meals. We make our own products,” she said.

And, “there are no preservatives in any of our mixes,” she added, “so they make a nutritional meal for your family.”

This isn’t Homemade Gourmet’s first “Extreme Makeover.” In fact, the Hyattsville family is the fourth to receive a food donation from Homemade Gourmet.

At the reveal, Homemade Gourmet surprised the family with their gift of free meals.

“We are going to bring up a box of meals for the whole family,” Mallwitz said.

The meals, called “Homemade in a Hurry” are able to be cooked in the microwave, oven, grill, on a hot top or in a skillet, she added.

“We [were] thrilled to go up there to represent homemade gourmet,” Mallwitz said. “That’s one of the missions of homemade gourmet, to bring the family back to the dinner table. And wherever we can help in donating whatever we need to do or helping people to create their meals, well, that is what all of us consultants and all of the company is based on.”