House dedicated to Medford teen
By JOSH BERNSTEIN
Burlington County Times

Grieving loved ones fulfill dream
September 30, 2003
Burlington County Times

In 2002, Patrick Monaghan traveled to West Virginia with his church's youth group to build homes for Habitat for Humanity.

In a bittersweet turnaround, friends and family members of the teenager have spent the past few months working on a house for the same organization. But this one is closer to home, and it's dedicated to Patrick's memory.

The Medford 16-year-old died in February after a skiing accident.

Soon, the house his loved ones have rehabbed in Beverly will ring with the laughter of John and Marisol Rodriguez, now living in a small apartment in Camden with twin baby girls. Next spring, their older daughters will join them from the Dominican Republic.

A young man's dream found reality through the hands of others. There's beauty in that symmetry.

Medford teen's death inspires family and friends to volunteer (Click for Article)
By: RYAN REILLY
Static Writer for Courier Post

Habitat house's progress pleases teenage workers (Click for Article)
By: JOSH BERNSTEIN
Black tar was streaked like war paint across Chris Yingling's cheeks and sticking to his goatee.

Habitat for Humanity House Rises in Honor of Local Teenager (Click for Article)
By JOSH BERNSTEIN
Burlington County Times

Revitalization efforts named after local teenager
By JOSH BERNSTEIN
Burlington County Times

BEVERLY - Revitalization efforts in this riverfront city will bear the name of a Medford teenager who died in a skiing accident earlier this year.
The family of Patrick Monaghan announced yesterday it would work with the Burlington County chapter of Habitat for Humanity to build new homes or rehabilitate existing houses for low-income families in Beverly.

About 50 teenagers joined the Monaghans and Habitat volunteers as they built the foundation for the home at Second and Locust streets. The two-story, three-bedroom, one-bath house will be known as "Patrick's Place I."

"We're here today to honor and celebrate the life of Patrick Monaghan. I didn't know Patrick personally, but from what I've read and been told, he was quite a young man," said Habitat Executive Director Peter Cerra.

The foundation will pay for building materials and coordinate volunteer youth labor to help build the house.

"We can see the spirit. It will be something that will be Patrick's forever," said Suellen Monaghan, Patrick's mother.

Patrick, 16, died in mid-Feb-ruary after a skiing accident at Mount Snow, Vt. A sophomore at St. Joseph's Preparatory School in Philadelphia, Patrick had been a member of the school's golf and basketball teams.

Born in Mount Holly, he was a member of St. Mary of the Lakes Roman Catholic Church and its youth group. Patrick was on a field trip with the group when he lost control skiing and struck a tree.

Friends and family said Patrick traveled to West Virginia last July as part of a youth group mission to build houses for Habitat for Humanity.

"He was a little timid to go. When he came home, he came in hopping and skipping and plopped on the couch and said that was the best week of my life," Suellen Monaghan said. "When Patrick passed, we knew we wanted to keep things going. We wanted to keep the spirit alive."

Jessie Wade, 18, of Medford, dated Patrick after the two met on the Habitat trip to West Virginia. She compiled a montage of photographs from the trip and displayed it near the construction site.

"I think it feels like he's here," Wade said, shedding tears. "He was a really good worker. He did a lot. He was the retaining-wall guy. He worked in the basement with us."

Kathryn Ellis of Medford, youth pastor for the church, said the Habitat experience galvanized Patrick.

"We were really blessed he was with us," she said. "Ever since, he was hooked to the youth group."
Occupants could move into the house this fall.

"The long-term goal is to build one house and then go on to other houses," said Frank Monaghan, Patrick's father. "The hope is we can generate new funds plus interest (from existing accounts) to continue the progress."

Teen's spirit of volunteerism to live on

Thursday, April 17, 2003

By MICHELLE MOLZ
Courier-Post Staff
BEVERLY

Patrick F. Monaghan was only 16 when he died in a skiing accident in February. But his family and friends want to keep his spirit of volunteerism alive. They will establish the Patrick's Place Foundation here today to raise funds for Habitat for Humanity's affordable homes in Burlington County.
"Last year he had gone to Habitat for a week, and he said it was the best week of his life," said his father, Frank.

Monaghan was skiing in Mount Snow, Vt., with a church youth group when he hit a tree. It was his first time on skis. The Medford sophomore had played on St. Joseph's Preparatory School's golf and basketball teams. He also was a humanitarian, traveling to West Virginia to build Habitat homes and working in a soup kitchen in Trenton.

His father said he hopes Patrick's Place Foundation will inspire other teens to donate their time and energy to charitable causes.
The Monaghans have donated Patrick's college savings to the county Habitat chapter, and friends and family have provided an additional $14,000 in the teen's name.

"Things like this and all the people who have been there for us have helped make it a little easier," his father said.
A 9 a.m. kickoff ceremony for the foundation's launch will be held at a Habitat home construction site at 502 Second St. It will be attended by Monaghan's family, friends, Habitat and city officials, and state Sen. Diane Allen, R-Burlington.

"This will help us with getting people aware of issues in Burlington County and to redirect the charitable impulses of people," said Peter Cerra, executive director of the Burlington County Habitat For Humanity, headquartered on Broad Street.

Cerra said demographic studies indicate the Habitat chapter should be building about 10 homes a year in the county.
"We are always in need of funds," Cerra said.

On a shoestring budget of $240,000 last year, the chapter built three homes and acquired three more properties in Beverly. It is now working on its 11th home in the city, which is showing signs of urban renewal along the two-block area where Habitat volunteers have toiled.

The latest U.S. Census figures show that in 1999, about 20,000 of Burlington County's 423,394 residents lived in poverty.

Applicants for the homes must have inadequate current living conditions, annual income between $15,000 and $30,000, and a willingness to work 500 hours in "sweat equity" toward the home. The nonprofit Habitat chapter acts as a bank, providing zero-interest, 20-year mortgage loans for its properties. Funds are cycled back into new home construction and renovation projects, while 10 percent of the chapter's income is tithed to Habitat For Humanity International.

How to help
Donations can be made to Habitat for Humanity BC. Note that the donation is for Patrick's Place. Mail to Habitat for Humanity of Burlington County, P.O. Box 67, Beverly 08010. Call (609) 239-5551 for more information.