Habitat for Humanity
Students help by building homes
By Laura Walter
Skiff Staff

Life is often hectic for TCU students, and the last thing they may have time for is volunteering.

But a student who volunteers with Habitat for Humanity will probably find that the rewards are well worth their time and effort.

Habitat for Humanity has been building homes for the less fortunate since 1976, according to its Web site, (www.habitat.org). The nonprofit, nondenominational Christian organization has built more than 125,000 houses in more than 80 countries, with the nails being driven by volunteers.

TCU began its own campus chapter of the organization more than 10 years ago, said Andy Walker, a junior engineering major and TCU’s on-campus coordinator.

Those students who have worked with Habitat say it was about more than just giving.

“It’s an experience that helps you realize how blessed you are and how much you have,” said Tyler Hernandez, a junior criminal justice major who has volunteered with Habitat several times.

One of the unique things about Habitat For Humanity, Hernandez said, is that you get to meet the people who will live in the house you are building.

“They are very proud of their home,” he said. “It’s something they’ve never had before. Now they will have a place to come home to that is theirs forever.”

Volunteers are called on to work for one day at a specific site.

A typical day for a volunteer starts between 7:30 and 8 a.m., Walker said. Volunteers meet at the Student Center and car pool to the work site, he said. Once there, a site coordinator assigns jobs. The volunteers usually work a shift from four to six hours and a second group will work the next shift, completing the work day, Walker said. Lunch is provided by Habitat For Humanity.

The people who volunteer to help build Habitat homes make the success of this organization possible. According to the Web site, the volunteer labor and the donated funds and material keep the cost of the homes down, making them affordable for the low income families who receive them.

Unfortunately, only 200 of the 8,200 graduate and undergraduate students at TCU are on the volunteer list, Walker said. Whenever volunteers are requested of TCU, those students are contacted about their availability to join the team to work for a day.

“We just need people to come and work for a day when they ask us to,” Walker said.

Putting your name on the volunteer list is not a commitment to work, Walker said. It simply allows you to join in on a project, for a day, when you are able.

Anyone with an interest in future volunteer opportunities with Habitat For Humanity should contact Andy Walker at (a.s.walker@tcu.edu) or visit (www.habitat.org).

l.a.walter@tcu.edu