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Can-Do Attitude Builds Houses

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By MEGAN HUSSEY, Tribune Correspondent

Published: January 20, 2008

A year and a half ago, 14-year-old Matt Mooney saw a friend and his family move into a Habitat for Humanity home.

Now, the Dade City teen is helping make owning a home possible for someone else.

So far, Matt has collected 347,003 recyclable cans for the Cans for Habitat program. That's 10.8 tons of discarded cans, worth more than $6,000.

Matt's efforts have paid for a framing package - trusses and wooden wall studs - for a new home.

But he's not stopping there.

"They've told me 130,000 pounds of cans are needed to build a full house," the Land O' Lakes High School freshman said. "I'm only one-thirteenth of the way there."

He credits parents Wayne and Jane Mooney, both longtime Habitat volunteers, with getting him involved.

"My mom told me the project was for a good cause and that it was inspirational to help other people," he said.

Matt and his family pitched in to help with a home being built for a boy on Matt's baseball team.

"My friend was so happy to get his new home," said Matt. "It was cool to see. I realized how important it was to help people who need a home find one."

Because he was younger than 16, Matt can't help build a Habitat home, so he got involved with Cans for Habitat. Volunteers collect cans and take them to Pasco Recycling Center in Dade City, which cuts a check to East Pasco Habitat for Humanity.

Matt picked up cans off the side of the road and dove into Dumpsters after recyclables. He and his parents retrieved them en masse from can houses - donation containers erected by Habitat - in Wesley Chapel, Zephyrhills, San Antonio and Dade City.

He also collected cans from friends, neighbors, classmates, church groups, baseball fields, golf courses and the Wal-Mart distribution center in Brooksville.

Soon, neighbors began leaving bags full of cans in front of the Mooney home every day.

"He and his dad would fill up their truck once a month," said Amanda Wiggins, Habitat's volunteer and recycling coordinator. "Matt showed so much resolve."

Matt is Habitat's only youth volunteer who is not working in exchange for community service hours, Wiggins said.

While others may marvel at how Matt's efforts, he said he's just getting started.

"I'm going to set a new goal for each year," he said. "I hope to continue working for Habitat until I graduate and, hopefully, after that."

To volunteer for Habitat, go to www.ephabitat.org/volunteer.php.

To donate to cans or have a can house placed at your business, call Wayne Mooney at (352) 467-9808.

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