Students to Spend Spring Break with Habitat for Humanity Project

Eighteen Westminster College students and two staff will join fellow spring breakers from across the country participating in Habitat for Humanity's "Collegiate Challenge" March 15-22.

"We will be working with the Marion County (S.C.) Habitat for Humanity," said Carey Anne M. LaSor, Westminster College assistant to the College chaplain and coordinator of the Young Presbyterian Scholars Program. "We will be hosted by the Macedonia United Methodist Church in Mullins, S.C., as our home for the week. We are excited to be starting a new home for a family. It will be the 29th house for the Marion County Habitat."

"While many of their peers are relaxing, these students are putting in hundreds of hours of hard work during Habitat's Collegiate Challenge," said Alynn Woodson, associate director of Habitat's Youth Programs department. "By the end of the week, not only have the students learned how to build a house, they've also seen how their actions can help improve people's lives by providing safe, affordable shelter through a Habitat for Humanity home."

More than 12,000 students have signed up to help build homes in 210 locations as part of this year's Collegiate Challenge program. The program offers high school and college-age students year-round opportunities to use their vacations to serve a community by volunteering to build homes.

Suzanne McGuire, a Westminster senior biology major, said, "I've been in Habitat for Humanity since my sophomore year. I went on the spring break trip to Texas and the trip to Mississippi. It feels good to do something for others, and you come back rejuvenated for the rest of the semester."

This work trip will be the first extended one for Alison Paden, a freshman music major. "I have participated in many of the local workdays that our chapter regularly schedules," she said. "As Habitat partners, we have the ability to completely change a family's life. No beach can beat the look on a homeowner's face as they see their new home completed. When I was on one of my first workdays, I met the owner of the house we were working on. She was so thankful we were there. I never realized how blessed my life is, and now I want to help others get their own blessings."

LaSor and Dr. Jacque King, Westminster assistant professor of business, will accompany the Westminster students.

Throughout its 19-year history, more than 155,000 students have traveled to build Habitat houses through Habitat's Collegiate Challenge program. During this time, students raised more than $14.6 million to pay for construction. This year alone, Collegiate Challenge students will contribute $1.5 million to help build houses.

Habitat for Humanity International is an ecumenical Christian ministry that welcomes to its work all people dedicated to the cause of eliminating poverty housing. Since its founding in 1976, Habitat has built more than 250,000 houses worldwide, providing simple, decent and affordable shelter for more than 1 million people. For more information, visit www.habitat.org.

Contact LaSor at (724) 946-7365 or e-mail meyerca@westminster.edu for additional information. 

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