Sabrina Balch (contributor)
Habitat Birmingham will host students from North Central College during Spring Break to help build and rehabilitate homes for families in need of affordable housing. The 10 students are participating in Habitat for Humanity’s national alternative break program, Collegiate Challenge.
“We are excited to have student volunteers again this year. This is our 10th year hosting students during their break and we are appreciative of their efforts,” said Charles Moore, Habitat Birmingham’s president and CEO. “Collegiate Challenge provides the students with an opportunity to help build affordable housing in the area. The work they’ll do during their spring break will have a lasting impact in our community.”
Habitat for Humanity’s Collegiate Challenge alternative break program is celebrating its 25th anniversary this spring. The program, which invites students to spend one week working with Habitat affiliates to build homes and improve communities, was started in 1989. Since then, more than 230,000 college- and high school-aged students have volunteered during their spring break to help build or rehabilitate homes, donating nearly $24 million to Habitat affiliates.
”We are grateful to all of the students who have so graciously dedicated their spring break to helping others over the last 25 years,” said Mark Andrews, Habitat for Humanity International’s vice president of volunteer and institutional engagement. “Many families have been able to realize their dream of home ownership thanks to the Collegiate Challenge program.”
The Collegiate Challenge program is one of the many programs Habitat has to engage youth ages 5 to 25 in Habitat’s work. In addition to the ongoing support State Farm® offices provide to local Habitat affiliates across the United States, State Farm has served as the national corporate sponsor of Habitat for Humanity’s youth programs since 2007.
Established in 1987, Greater Birmingham Habitat for Humanity is a nonprofit, ecumenical Christian ministry serving Jefferson, Shelby, St. Clair and Walker counties. To date, Habitat Birmingham has provided over 650 families with the opportunity of homeownership through 0 percent interest mortgages on newly built or rehabilitation homes and aided over 550 households with critical home repairs, totaling more than 1,225 families served in the Greater Birmingham area. Habitat Birmingham is ranked fourth among more than 1,500 Habitat affiliates in the United States.
Habitat for Humanity International is a global nonprofit Christian housing organization. Since 1976, Habitat has served more than 600,000 families by welcoming people of all races, religions and nationalities to construct, rehabilitate or preserve homes; by advocating for fair and just housing policies; and by providing training and access to resources to help families improve their shelter conditions.
For more information, to donate or to volunteer, please visit www.habitat.org, or follow us at www.facebook.com/habitat or at www.twitter.com/habitat_org or join Habitat’s blog community at www.habitat.org/blog.
