2008 Woodie Awards
Habitat lends some helping hands
Kathleen Vissichelli
Issue date: 3/15/07 Section: News
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hree of Habitat for Humanity's spring break trips were described with its record-high number of participants.
This year's Habitat for Humanity took the most kids it ever has with a total of 55 students who participated in the trips to New Mexico, Florida, and North Carolina to help build houses from the ground up.
"It was an absolutely terrific experience," said Phyllis Machledt, director of Service-Learning and Volunteer Programs. "I was very impressed with the students who worked on the homes, as if they were they're own."
Each of the groups constructed houses from the foundation up, putting up walls, doors, and installing windows.
"In New Mexico, we worked with adobe bricks which is completely new to us because you can't use them here, but it is an ancient form of building," said Machledt.
Director of HAAP & ESL Programs Jim Minor, who was the advisor for the Florida trip along with wife, Laura, said, "We started with a slab of concrete, worked hard each day and saw a simple affordable house take shape. It was really fantastic. Raising the house was the most exciting part."
Miguel Colon, advisor for the North Carolina trip, said that what they did this year was really special because they worked on two homes at the same time. "We did the floors, raised the walls and the trusses."
But it wasn't all work and no play for the groups. Every group was treated to side trips as well.
"The North Carolina crew drove there so we stopped for a night in Washington D.C. and one night we had a late night game of hide and seek in a supposedly haunted school," said Colon.
Machledt said that in New Mexico, they had an extra day of sight-seeing where they visited Bandelier National Park, an ancient Indian pueblo and Tent Rocks National Park. "They were really cool places," she said.
The Florida crew even had time to go to a Red Soxs pre-season game and to spend some time at the beach.
" One of the most exciting things is that we ended up on the news, we were working side by side with another habitat crew and the local Fox News came with cameras and interviewed a few volunteers," said Minor. "It was great to see ourselves on TV."
This year's Habitat for Humanity took the most kids it ever has with a total of 55 students who participated in the trips to New Mexico, Florida, and North Carolina to help build houses from the ground up.
"It was an absolutely terrific experience," said Phyllis Machledt, director of Service-Learning and Volunteer Programs. "I was very impressed with the students who worked on the homes, as if they were they're own."
Each of the groups constructed houses from the foundation up, putting up walls, doors, and installing windows.
"In New Mexico, we worked with adobe bricks which is completely new to us because you can't use them here, but it is an ancient form of building," said Machledt.
Director of HAAP & ESL Programs Jim Minor, who was the advisor for the Florida trip along with wife, Laura, said, "We started with a slab of concrete, worked hard each day and saw a simple affordable house take shape. It was really fantastic. Raising the house was the most exciting part."
Miguel Colon, advisor for the North Carolina trip, said that what they did this year was really special because they worked on two homes at the same time. "We did the floors, raised the walls and the trusses."
But it wasn't all work and no play for the groups. Every group was treated to side trips as well.
"The North Carolina crew drove there so we stopped for a night in Washington D.C. and one night we had a late night game of hide and seek in a supposedly haunted school," said Colon.
Machledt said that in New Mexico, they had an extra day of sight-seeing where they visited Bandelier National Park, an ancient Indian pueblo and Tent Rocks National Park. "They were really cool places," she said.
The Florida crew even had time to go to a Red Soxs pre-season game and to spend some time at the beach.
" One of the most exciting things is that we ended up on the news, we were working side by side with another habitat crew and the local Fox News came with cameras and interviewed a few volunteers," said Minor. "It was great to see ourselves on TV."
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