The Ohio University Habitat for Humanity was founded in May 2000 to give Ohio University students another opportunity to provide service to the community. The OU Habitat for Humanity Student Chapter is a very active branch of Habitat for Humanity. We are a growing chapter with about fifty current active members. In the past, our main goal has been to assist Athens Habitat and other local affiliates in all of their builds. In addition to providing volunteers to builds sponsored by Athens Habitat whenever they need us, we often travel to Parkersburg, West Virginia to volunteer at builds there. We send students on builds almost every week. Currently, we are working on fundraising in order to obtain a build sponsored solely by OU student organizations. We will be partnering with other student groups to raise money for a new house that we will hopefully begin building in Fall of 2011. We then hope to work with the other organizations on the actual construction so that OU student organizations will not only finance the house, but build it.
In addition to sending volunteers on builds, OU Habitat for Humanity helps in supporting large fundraisers for Athens Habitat for Humanity. A student from our chapter had a large part in helping to organize Cardboard City, Athens’ largest fundraiser. Cardboard City is an event that takes place in the fall where groups build a shelter out of cardboard and spend the night in the cardboard “house”. Groups compete against each other to earn certain titles. The event serves to raise awareness of substandard housing and to raise funds to support Athens Habitat for Humanity. OU Habitat helps Athens Habitat to run this event and to get other student organizations involved with it.
Another big part of OU Habitat for Humanity is Collegiate Challenge. Collegiate Challenge is a week-long trip dedicated to eliminating substandard housing, and in the past few years OU groups have focused on Hurricane Katrina relief. Students from OU Habitat have gone on two trips a year (one during spring break, one during winter break) to New Orleans, Biloxi and Albany to rebuild communities. We have learned to paint, side, insulate, roof, and many more construction trades despite many members having absolutely no experience in the area before the trip.