Friday, March 5, 2004

Local family getting new Habitat Home

Clayton College & State University's Office of Student Life has partnered with the Southern Crescent Habitat for Humanity to sponsor the first Clayton State Habitat Home. The home is being built for a local family and will be located in College Park, Ga.

Assistant Director of Student Life and Southern Crescent Habitat board member Angela Avery has been working with Southern Crescent Habitat for Humanity since last November coordinating the project. The project is scheduled to get underway on Saturday, weather permitting. The project will be completed before the end of the current school term.

The home will be located in the Faith Park subdivision off of Old National Highway. Local sponsors will provide snacks, beverages and lunch each Saturday of the build-out, and students are asked to bring rakes and shovels to the sight on the first day to help clear the debris from the building site.

For those who have never participated in a Habitat for Humanity project, there's no need for alarm. Experienced construction specialists will be on hand to oversee the less-experienced volunteers. When asked if a volunteer has to have experience, Avery replies, "Absolutely not! All we ask is that you come with a willing hand, helpful heart, and a happy spirit! We will have site leaders available to instruct!"

"The home's foundation should be poured and ready to go this week," adds Avery. With more than 60 student, faculty and Clayton State staff members, along with friends and family, already signed up to volunteer, there should be plenty of workers on hand to get the job done in the time allotted.

"But there's always room for more," says Avery. "We need as many volunteers as possible. Not everyone will come every Saturday."

"Originally we had planned to do a building 'blitz,' but the weather blew that," she says. The blitz was scheduled to begin on Feb. 28, the first Saturday in Clayton State's Spring Break, and go every day throughout the week, ending Mar. 6.

"It's entirely feasible to build-out an entire house in a week," continues Avery. "We'd planned to have it completed by the end of the break."

Clayton State is hoping to fund the project entirely with donations. They are selling T-shirts and conducting other fund-raisers to sustain this effort. Anyone interested in participating in the build or donating to the effort may send a check to the Office of Student Life at Clayton College & State University, 5900 N. Lee Street, Morrow, Ga. 30260, or contact Avery at (770) 961-3510.