This spring break, Almost Heaven Habitat for Humanity will host 10 groups, a total of 163 students from nine states as a part of Habitat for Humanity’s national Collegiate Challenge program. These volunteers will be traveling to Pendleton, Greenbrier and Pocahontas counties in order to build houses and hope for those in need. Collectively, the students are contributing over $32,000 that will be used to buy the building materials necessary to repair existing homes and to build new ones.
Habitat for Humanity’s Collegiate Challenge program invites students to spend one week working with Habitat for Humanity affiliates to build homes and improve communities. Since 1989, nearly 240,000 college and high school students have volunteered during their spring break to help build or rehabilitate homes, donating over $25 million to Habitat for Humanity affiliates across the US.
Gabrielle Koval from Saint Joseph’s University, Philadelphia, describes her first time volunteering, “This experience has allowed me to help those around me while also furthering my growth as a person. I’ve been humbled to meet members of such a wonderful community where a group of strangers can be welcomed in with such open arms.”
The Collegiate Challenge program is one of the many programs Habitat for Humanity has to engage the next generation of leaders in Habitat’s work.
“We’ve been hosting Collegiate Challenge volunteers for 25 years, and we use Collegiate Challenge as an opportunity to kick off our build season,” says Michelle L. Connor, CEO of Almost Heaven Habitat for Humanity. “The participants that come through Collegiate Challenge’s alternative spring break program are energetic and ready to make an impact in our community. During the five weeks in which we are hosting Collegiate Challenge, volunteers will perform six critical home repairs and bring two new houses to substantial completion. It is a very exciting time of year and we are very thankful for their help.”