The Natchez-Adams County Habitat for Humanity affiliate is hosting students from the University of New Hampshire during their spring break this week to help build a home for a family in need of affordable housing. The ten students are participating in Habitat for Humanity’s national alternative break program, Collegiate Challenge.

For the past 24 years, more than 208,000 students have spent their school breaks volunteering across the country through Habitat for Humanity’s Collegiate Challenge program, donating more than $20 million to Habitat affiliates.

“We’re grateful to our Natchez affiliate for hosting the students as part of Collegiate Challenge,” said Jenn Skudlarek, Habitat for Humanity International’s manager of the U.S. volunteer programs. “Their work together makes a meaningful difference and will have a lasting impact in communities across the country.”

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.

Duncan McFarlane, Habitat secretary, said, “This is the fifth year the local affiliate has participated in the Collegiate Challenge program. The students work for 5 full days, and this is about a month’s worth of work for us.” The group will be installing vinyl siding, sanding sheetrock, painting the walls and nailing down the plywood floor. The Natchez affiliate is working on home No. 17. The house is located at 1018 Martin Luther King St. and has 3 bedrooms and 2 full baths for Mr. and Mrs. Watson and their four children.

Habitat for Humanity International is a global nonprofit Christian housing program that seeks to put God’s love into action by bringing people together to build homes, communities and hope. 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 www.facebook.com/habitat.

 

Duncan McFarlane is the secretary for Habitat for Humanity.