Student Habitat for Humanity chapter brings relief efforts to New Orleans
March 8, 2010
More than 50 students at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater will spend their spring break this semester working construction, and they won’t be getting paid.
They also wouldn't have it any other way.
The UW-Whitewater undergraduates, members of the university’s Habitat for Humanity chapter, will travel to Mandeville, La., to aid those still recovering from the damage left by Hurricane Katrina. The students will help build new homes for families in one of the more impoverished areas around New Orleans.
The trip represents a marked departure from what would be considered the typical college student's spring break vacation. The students involved see it as a way to create something tangible, instead of just soaking up sun on a beach.
For senior physical education major and Waukesha native Lisa Wunder, the relief effort is a chance to see the friends she made during her previous trips to the area. This will be the seventh time Wunder makes the trip to help out.
"It's kind of a home away from home for me," said Wunder, UW-Whitewater's trip coordinator. "After going there to help out, you can see the change that happens."
The UW-Whitewater Habitat for Humanity chapter has made relief trips every spring break for the past 21 years. This will be the first time their efforts take them to the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
"The students involved are able create something that will remain long after they've left," said Habitat adviser Brian Zanin. "What they end up gaining is some great personal and leadership development."
Students who volunteered to travel to Mandeville have already started raising donations to fund the trip and the cost of building materials. Their goal is to raise $200 for every student worker. That adds up to more than $10,000, equaling their largest goal in the organization's 21 years at UW-Whitewater.
Until their departure March 20, students are raising funds through individual efforts and the Hire-a-Habitator program, which allows Whitewater residents to donate money to the organization in exchange for help around the house from student volunteers.
To find out more about upcoming Habitat for Humanity meetings, fundraising events and opportunities to donate, visit their Web site at orgs.uww.edu/hfh/.