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Friday,
February 27, 2004 |
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Trading
break for a good cause
The
university is sponsoring a Habitat for Humanity Spring
Break trip.
By
John Anderson
As
Spring Break approaches, some students have decided to
trade their week of vacation for a week of manual labor.
TCU’s Habitat for Humanity chapter is sponsoring
a trip to Los Lunas, N.M., during Spring Break to help
build a home.
“It shows a lot about a person who chooses to build
a home for someone instead of going to party in Cancun,”
said Andy Walker, the president of TCU’s Habitat
chapter.
The trip is open to anyone and will cost $100, which will
cover food, lodging, transportation and building materials.
“It is a chance to do something productive with your
Spring Break instead of doing something for yourself,”
said Courtney May, a sophomore nursing major.
Students have the opportunity to meet and work with the
family they are building the house for.
“The owners help out with the work, and they are
always grateful even if it is putting up a wall or cleaning
the floor,” Walker said.
The Habitat chapter in Los Lunas, N.M., is a very strong
affiliate and is rated the best chapter in the Western
United States, said Robin Williamson, director of community
service at TCU.
“When you are working with a family on their first
home that they have ever owned in their life, it is pretty
special,” Williamson said. “People come for
the trips because they really want to do service and they
want to do something meaningful with their Spring Break.”
Last year TCU participated in its first Habitat Spring
Break trip in Americus, Ga.
“We are pretty limited to where we can go geographically
just due to the time constraints of Spring Break,”
Williamson said.
Habitat for Humanity provides professional home builders
at the site to help students with any problems they might
have.
Senior social work major Julia Drab went on last year’s
trip and said she ended up asking a lot of questions but
the professionals were very helpful in telling her what
to do.
Williamson said someone learns a lot about their strengths
and gets to learn skills they wouldn’t learn on a
daily basis.Heather Creek, a sophomore ballet and political
science major, has participated in Habitat since high
school and said the experience has given her confidence
about construction and using tools.
“It is an immediate gratification,” Creek said.
“It is a great accomplishment to be there and see
the finished product because you are creating something
from nothing.”
Participants on the trip will have their own free time
after building for the day is done.
Students will work 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday,
starting March 13.
“It is a service project that I think is different
than others,” Creek said. “Some projects don’t
completely need you but this is your own craftsmanship
and your own work. It is very empowering.”
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