“It’s great to see everyone come out and support a great cause and help the community – and to see my house being built.”
Those were the words of an excited Jenny Jeffrey, who was on site working along more than 200 returning juniors Monday as they constructed the frames for two Habitat for Humanity homes, including the one being built for her and her daughter, Kora.
The service project represents the first-ever HYPE Career Ready® Program Third Year Common Experience with its theme of service. The Office of Religious Life and Civic Engagement worked with the Seneca County and Wood County Habitat chapters along with the Help Build Hope organization, out of Louisville, Kentucky. Help Build Hope conducts “blitz builds” such as this one across the country.
Jenny has some experience with construction projects, so she was able to advise and inspire her team. But for the large majority of the ‘Berg students, this was something entirely new.
“A lot of students had to learn how to use a hammer and tape measure for the first time,” said blitz build organizer Paul Sittason Stark, director of Religious Life and Civic Engagement. “We had lots of mistakes and some redo’s at first, but they seemed to catch on.”
When the wall frames for the first house were completed and loaded into a large moving truck, Chase Morrison, the student organizer of the blitz build for the Office of Religious Life and Civic Engagement, took a breather to assess the progress. “Some teams are cruising right along and others are moving slower, but on the whole, everything’s going very well,” he said. “It’s awesome.”
The students, Chase said, “had more of a sense of giving back, of actually accomplishing something.”
“And we’re learning new skills that will be helpful when we own a house.”
Indeed, they were learning. Emma Ramsdell said her team had a challenging frame to build – one with a doorway. But she enjoyed the experience. “It’s definitely new and definitely rewarding because it’s going to benefit a family,” she said.
When the walls for the second house were complete, they were assembled so that the students could witness their work. The walls were then disassembled and loaded onto a moving truck for their destination in Bowling Green.
Through the clamor of hammers and nail guns, of entire walls being carried across the Krieg Hall parking lot, the students seemed to grasp that this day had a larger purpose.
“It’s amazing, really, that we’re all working together for someone who needs this home,” said junior Krystina Fultz. “It feels really good to be able to do this for someone in the community. I love it.”
‘Berg students are invited to the home site on the north side of Tiffin on Saturday when the walls will be put into place, and then, to continue to volunteer twice weekly throughout the rest of the semester to help complete Jenny’s home.
“It’s going to be so real on Saturday when the walls are finally standing,” she said. “It’s still hard to believe this is going to be my home.”
See the photo gallery from Monday's Third Year Common Experience.