Nov. 21, 2023, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – It’s the house that Abby built.
“From time to time, I find myself driving by that first house up in the Black Hills and remembering how amazing it felt knowing that we weren’t just building a house … we were impacting lives,” said Abby Langenberg of Habitat for Humanity of Kent County.
The Black Hills house construction was part of the hands-on training Langenberg received through Grand Rapids Community College’s Residential Construction Program in partnership with Habitat for Humanity.
Langenberg enrolled in the 18-week program in 2016 after deciding to take home renovation from an investment side-project to a hands-on occupation.
“I looked around at what education was available that wasn’t going to take me years to complete, or that was so basic it was like going back to square one with what I’d already learned about construction,” she said. “I tell people all the time that the GRCC program was the best return on investment I’ve ever had in terms of time and money.
“And it’s also where I fell in love with construction.”
The job-training program takes place at construction sites and teaches GRCC students the entire process of residential building including blueprint reading, site layout, concrete, carpentry, door/window installation, roofing, siding and interior finishing.
“It was a strong foundation of construction skills that really paved the way for me and my career,” said the Grand Rapids native.
She especially appreciated the mentorship and confidence that program instructor Kyle Lackschiede provided.
“I laugh thinking about myself back then because I was pretty timid when it came to my skills,” she said. “Probably the most common phrase I heard from Kyle was ‘There’s nothing you can screw up that we can’t fix.’”
After completing the Residential Construction Program in 2017, Langenberg worked for a small residential builder for a year which gave her a good overview of different project types. She then worked for Rockford Construction for several years, first as a carpenter and eventually helping to coordinate work crews.
“I really loved that space because you had some client relations, you’re working out problems, you’re coordinating people, but you’re still doing hands-on work, and getting that satisfaction, too,” she said.
In June 2021, Langenberg made the move to Habitat for Humanity where she serves as construction and warehouse director overseeing a team of 10 people. The nonprofit agency this year celebrates 40 years of working alongside 500 families to help them build and buy their homes.
Langenberg not only helps coordinate Habitat’s new builds and renovations, she also fosters partnerships with volunteers — including students enrolled in GRCC’s Residential Construction Program.
“It’s really come full circle for me, getting to work with and occasionally hire GRCC students from the program,” she said. “The job has a lot of variety and I wear a lot of different hats. But that’s one of the things I love about it; every day is different.”
And meaningful.
“The chance to impact lives is so incredible,” said Langenberg, who sometimes drives her three children past that first house she helped build in the Black Hills Neighborhood.
“It’s still a great looking house and I have a lot of really fun memories from there,” she said. “It’s definitely still a great source of pride.”
New sessions of GRCC Job Training programs begin throughout the year. The next session begins January 15, 2024. For more information, visit grcc.edu/jobtraining.
This story was reported by Beth McKenna
