Colorado State University’s construction management students are combining classroom learning with community service through the university’s CM Cares program, delivering home renovations that improve accessibility for people living with disabilities while giving students real-world construction experience.
Based in Fort Collins, the CM Cares initiative has completed 36 projects over the past 14 years for families across Northern Colorado. The program focuses on modifying existing homes to better meet the needs of residents with physical and developmental disabilities.
This year, one of those projects supported the Pennucci family, who have lived in their Fort Collins home since 1968 with their son, Vincint. Now 44 years old, Vincint lives with cerebral palsy and scoliosis, and his mother, Mary Pennucci, said his mental development is estimated to be that of an 18-month-old.
“He started having seizures at four months,” Pennucci said. “He used to be able to walk and feed himself, and now he can't do anything.”
Pennucci explained that while the family could have chosen a care facility for their son, their faith guided them to continue caring for him at home. However, as she and her husband have aged, the physical demands of caregiving have increased.
Joking about her age, Pennucci said the challenge of caring for Vincint has grown in recent years, prompting the family to apply for assistance from the CM Cares team.
“The whole bathroom is going to make our life breathable,” Pennucci said of the renovation project.
Students enrolled in CSU’s construction management program planned and executed the work, including widening doorways to Vincint’s bedroom and bathroom to accommodate his wheelchair. The team also installed a roll-in shower to eliminate the need for transferring him in and out of a bathtub, along with harder flooring in the hallway to replace carpet that made pushing a wheelchair more difficult.
Senior construction management student Alex Stimack said the hands-on work allowed students to directly apply their coursework in a real-world environment.
“We are installing bath specialties and finishing caulking,” Stimack said as the project neared completion.
.jpg)
For the Pennucci family, the changes have already made a meaningful difference.
“This is like one of those make-a-wish things,” Pennucci said. “He loves showers. Just letting that water fall on him.”
Program leaders say CM Cares offers students a rare opportunity to manage projects from planning through execution while seeing the personal impact of their work.
“They get to be involved in making an impact and difference by doing the construction, by putting their coursework to work,” said Khristy Jesse, CM Cares coordinator for CSU.
Students involved in the project echoed that sentiment.
“It has been pretty incredible. They were dealt a tough hand in life,” Stimack said. “It has been cool having an opportunity to help them.”
The CM Cares program is funded through donations from local construction companies and CSU alumni. Jesse said the initiative has completed more than $2.5 million worth of construction work since its launch, extending its reach across dozens of households in the region.
For the Pennucci family, the renovations go beyond physical improvements.
“Anything that is easier for us is going to be easier for Vincent, too,” Pennucci said. “This has just been a godsend for us.”
Originally reported by Dillon Thomas in CBS News.
