WAKEFIELD — Northeast Metro Tech carpentry students, guided by their instructors, teamed up to construct a new storage shed for a non-profit animal rescue organization in Saugus this past school year.
Eddie’s Ranch is a non-profit animal rescue organization run by Lisa Mattuchio out of her Saugus home. Mattuchio, a former vet tech for MSPCA-Angell, has always made a habit of rescuing dogs, but in 2021 when her dog Eddie passed away, she decided to start an organization in Eddie’s honor. Eddie used a wheelchair throughout his life. Today, Eddie’s Ranch now works to rehabilitate senior and disabled dogs with a mission of finding them loving homes. Dogs that do not get adopted live out their years at Eddie’s Ranch with Mattuchio.
When Northeast Metro Tech instructors heard that Mattuchio needed a new storage shed, they sprang into action. “Eddie’s Ranch is a place where animals can be free, safe, loved and have a home,” said student Kevin Rodriguez of Malden. “We saw a need and we had the skills to help. It’s as simple as that.”
Over eight weeks, 19 students and their carpentry instructors built a 10-foot by 14-foot Gambrel-style storage shed for Eddie’s Ranch to save Mattuchio from having to buy one on her own. As an added bonus, students working on the project enjoyed interacting with the rescue animals living at Eddie’s Ranch.
The juniors and seniors started the project by creating construction documents and making a list of materials they needed for the shed. Students then obtained lumber and built the shed from scratch, building the floor, walls and ceiling framing with a built-in loft for extra storage. Students then designed and built Gambrel-style roof trusses and a custom-made double door with a ramp leading into the shed.
“Doing this job was an amazing experience for us. I was so happy and proud to do something for this amazing community,” said student Yeudiel Zelaya, of Chelsea.
Students who participated in the project were Makayla Bellavance and Lindsay Dabrillo of North Reading; Joseph Kohanski of Saugus; Nathan Blauvelt of Stoneham; Destiny Faith Shaw of Winthrop; Bryan Aguirre Lemus, Matthew Case, Daniel Escobar and Pedro Luis Rodriguez of Revere; Isaac Fernandes, Vayron Orellana and Kevin Rodriguez of Malden; Shane Comeiro and Antonio Gasbarro of Woburn; and Kimberly Juarez, Cory Pleitez, Samuel Villanueva Portillo, Yoselin Martinez Santamaria and Yeudiel Zelaya of Chelsea;
“My new shed has helped me so much, giving me more storage space which was much-needed,” said Mattuchio. “I am so grateful for Northeast Metro Tech and its students for building me this incredible shed. Seeing the kids every day and watching them with the rescue dogs was a fun bonus!”
“This was a rewarding project that involved both junior and senior students and which will benefit the animals at Eddie’s Ranch for years to come,” said Northeast Superintendent David DiBarri. “I am proud of our students for their fine craftsmanship, but also for their caring and community spirit. This is exactly the type of community support and involvement that we love to see from our students here at Northeast Metro Tech.”
To learn more about Eddie’s Ranch, visit eddieonwheels.com.