Spero Society and Spero Industries are giving recovering addicts at Yarrow-based Teen Challenge a "hand up" while building homes for people left homeless after last January's earthquake in Haiti.

Teen Challenge clients, whose rehabilitation program includes a work-detail component, will spend three days a week training and working at the Spero aluminum railing plant manufacturing frames and trusses for three-bedroom duplexes destined for Haiti.

"The idea is they'll learn aluminum cutting, welding, grinding, assembly work, shipping and receiving," said Spero Society executive director Jack Robertson, "and that'll look pretty good on their resume when they're going out looking for a job."