Peekskill Students Partner with Local Businesses on Table Project

Peekskill High School students arrived to school last Thursday to find ten brand new picnic tables waiting for them in the school courtyard. The new seating is the product of a collaboration between Peekskill High School’s My Brother’s Keeper program, Ferris Carpentry and Dain’s Lumber.

The hands-on project was the idea of Acting Peekskill High School Principal Dr. Jenna Ferris, who reached out to her brother Nick Ferris to assist. The Ferris Carpentry team (Nick Ferris, Dan Ferris, Steven Vanca, John Bischoff and William Clark) happily obliged. After all, how could they not? They are all Peekskill High School alumni! When Dain’s Lumber heard about the project, their team agreed to donate all of the lumber material needed to facilitate the community project.

“I really wasn’t sure if the guys were going to enjoy learning to do carpentry, but when they were excited to participate, I too was happy to get this project going,” said Nick Ferris, president of Ferris Carpentry, LLC. “It turned out great and we are pleased with the results. We are grateful that we have a partnership with Dain’s Lumber to help Peekskill High School students.”

The students who helped build the tables are all enrolled in Peekskill’s My Brother’s Keeper (MBK) program. The program began at Peekskill High School in 2015 and has now grown to serve over 150 students in grades 5-12.

“When I think of the MBK program, the words that come to mind are “empowerment” and “team building,” said PHS teacher and MBK leader Mr. Mark Andujar. “The program really wraps around our young men, and offers them some amazing opportunities.”

Students were excited to learn a new skill, and some even noted that the experience inspired them to think about becoming a carpenter as a career.

“Working on the benches was a great opportunity to learn new skills and the importance of team building,” said PHS senior Zamir Travis, who has been in the MBK program throughout his high school career. “This event has motivated me to own a construction business in the future."

Other students noted that building the tables inspired their desire to participate in more community service projects.

“I feel really proud and grateful to be a part of MBK,” said Yoandri Lopez Ortega, a senior at PHS who is in his first year of the MBK program. “Today made me realize that I would like to volunteer more and be a part of more community service projects.”

After the young men completed building the tables, Superintendent of Schools Dr. David Mauricio treated everyone involved in the project to a pizza party, which allowed the MBK-ers to be the very first students to eat at the newly built tables.

“This project is a wonderful example of what can be accomplished when caring adults and hard-working students come together," said Dr. Mauricio. "This community service project teaches our young men that they can be involved and have an immediate impact in their school community. These tables will be placed in the high school courtyard for students and staff to enjoy for years to come. I thank everyone involved with helping to make this idea a reality.”