At 1150 Kamperschroer Way, Young People Built More Than a House

Operation Fresh Start staff, participants, and partners celebrate the completion of the house at 1150 Kamperschroer Way in Sun Prairie.

On Thursday, August 13, staff, board members, partners, community supporters, and participants gathered outside a newly completed home at 1150 Kamperschroer Way in Sun Prairie. Together, they stood in front of something tangible: walls raised by participants’ hands, rooms shaped by their effort, and a future strengthened by their persistence.

The open house was both a celebration and a moment of recognition. Every board, nail, window, and finished corner told a larger story of young people showing up, learning hard things, pushing through frustration, and discovering what they could build for a future homeowner and for themselves.

A house built with pride

Standing in front of the home, OFS Executive Director Brian McMahon spoke directly to the young people who helped build it.

“I want you to take a look at this house behind me. I mean, really look at it,” he said. “You should be proud, because you helped build this.”

The house did not come together all at once. It was built through long days, stubborn setbacks, and moments when progress felt slow. Some participants were there from the beginning. Others joined along the way. Each left a mark on the home and on the story behind it.

“There aren't a lot of young people your age that can drive by a house and say, ‘I helped build that,’” Brian said. “But you can. That’s yours. You earned it.”

More than construction skills

Legacy Construction Crew Supervisor Norman Fuentes reminded the crowd that the finished house was just the visible part of their work. Behind it were months of learning, problem solving, patience, and pride.

“We get to build an amazing home for somebody,” Norman said. “And we also get to teach these students, who come with no experience, how to do everything from the foundation all the way to the finish work.”

“They built it,” he said. “They did it. Congratulations, guys. You earned it.”

Some of the Legacy participants who worked on 1150 Kamperschroer Way in Sun Prairie.

A place to try, fail, and get back up

Legacy Construction Crew Supervisor Miles Hegg spoke about the deeper purpose of the work. The house may be beautiful, he said, but its greatest value was serving as a place where young people could build confidence and trust in themselves.

“The most valuable thing about this house is it served as a site for our young folks to try and fail and get back up,” Miles said.

He described the daily choice participants make when they show up to do hard things, even when the payoff is not immediate. The deeper work is often quieter: choosing patience, building resilience, and finding the courage to keep trying after something goes wrong.

“Our young people make that hard decision every day to get up and show up and be here,” Miles said. “Y’all are really impressive people, and you’re doing this for your future.”

A participant’s reflection

For Alex, one of the participants who worked on the house, the celebration marked a milestone. As he neared completion of his program hours, he reflected on how much had changed since his first day on site.

“When I first started this construction program, I really didn’t know what to expect,” Alex said. “I knew I was going to build things, use tools, but what I didn’t expect was how much I would grow as a person at OFS.”

Alex (right) talks to OFS Board Member Ramona Natera (left) about the work he did on the house.

What began as a chance to learn construction became something bigger. Alex said OFS taught him responsibility, teamwork, problem-solving, and how to keep moving when things do not go as planned.

Built for the community, built for the future

The open house also recognized the staff, board members, and partners who helped make the project possible, including Findorff, Jaekle Distributors, County Materials, Dane County Community Development Block Grant, YouthBuild Global, and AmeriCorps.

Soon, a family will make the house their own. They may never know every challenge overcome or every young person who helped shape it, but they will feel the care, skill, and persistence built into every room.

For the participants, the house will always be more than a finished project. It is proof that they can learn something new, do difficult work, recover from mistakes, and build something that lasts. The home will soon belong to someone else, but they own the pride, confidence, and progress built along the way.