“Why wait when you can DIY”: Students rehab vacant homes

By Kara Burnett

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    BALTIMORE, Maryland (WMAR) — For some students at Carver Vocational Technical High School, a construction site is their classroom.

“It feels good knowing when I get older and ride past I can look at it and know hey I helped work on that,” said Warren Rymes, Carver HS Senior.

They’re rehabbing one of the blighted homes that sits right across the street from the school.

“Some of the houses are just a shell of a house. A lot of people struggle with bills so if there’s a way they can get a home built by the youth, I feel like that’s impactful,” said Elisha Johnson, Requity Program Manager.

The Carver House on Presstman Street is an energy efficient build. Along the block, you’ll also find solar powered address lights that the students installed. All of this is powered by the Requity Workforce Program.

“Requity helped me partner with other people so I can see what I want to do and make my goals in life,” said Justin Pittman, Carver HS Senior.

It all started in 2020 after a student asked Michael Rosenband, the school’s head baseball coach, “why can’t we use what we’re learning in the classroom to fix up the block?”. Now they’re pouring into the community and in between projects getting a resume boost. “I got a Harbor Bank internship because of Requity. I went in as marketing intern,” said Wendell McCray, Carver graduate and Requity’s marketing manager.

There’s a lot cooking in the Requity headquarters from their media division to their culinary team.

“I’m going to be on the sidelines somewhere for the Ravens. I don’t know if I’m going to be in the endzone or 20 yard line but I’m going to be down there somewhere. Believe that,” said McCray.

“Everyone here is like a family. My little brothers, my little sisters. I met with one of the students named Dawaun Thompson. He had dreams to open up his own restaurant so we started this program,” said Bria Evans, Requity Culinary Head Chef.

Through the program ‘We all eat Wednesday’, they’ve been able to cook and deliver over 1,500 meals to people in the Rosemont community.

“They don’t often get things like that. They might get meals on wheels where the food might be cold. But we deliver every Wednesday. We don’t miss a beat,” said Evans.

“Seeing the kids show up every day, willing to learn, willing to work, means everything to me,” said Johnson.

Program Manager Elisha Johnson says she keeps this going for her mother, who spent decades pushing her neighborhood forward. She passed last year.

“Oh she would be so proud. She loved everything we started. I know she’s smiling down happy to see the love, the energy, the youth, the positivity. I know she would be proud,” said Johnson.

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