Home is where the heart is, and over the past few years, lots of heart was put into one particular new house in Bemidji. The structure was built by area youth through the Bi-County Cap YouthBuild program with the philosophy to foster and support youth development and growth.

All the way from the basement to the rafters, kids that helped build this new home not only learned lessons in basic construction, but also valuable life skills as well.

For the hands that built this home, this project was one of inspiration and has led some of the young workers to future careers in construction. For others, the project has paved the way to continue working on projects and inspiring other youth as well.

After the groundbreaking took place in 2015, this project has now officially wrapped up with the home waiting for its new owner. For the instructors, it’s a proud moment and a time to reflect.

Currently, the YouthBuild program already has another new home project under construction.

By — Josh Peterson

News Reporter in Bemidji | jpeterson@lptv.org