Georgia Southern University
Habitat for Humanity

So what is Habitat for Humanity?

You may have heard it discussed by that crafty couple on Hometime or been urged to help by former President Carter, but what exactly is it? For a complete description of the foundation and history of Habitat for Humanity, surf over to the official Habitat for Humanity site.

In short, Habitat for Humanity is a community oriented service organization which sells homes to those in need. Note that Habitat for Humanity does not give anything away. Instead the recipient families pay for their homes over a period of years with help from a no-interest loan from Habitat for Humanity. The prospective families are interviewed to determine need and eligibility. In order to provide these homes at low cost, Habitat actively seeks donated materials and donated labor. That's where you come in.

So what can you do to help?

Habitat has several options for those who are interested in donating their services. There are local chapters of Habitat for Humanity in most major cities and about 200 college campuses throughout the United States. In addition there are groups in about 20 other countries world-wide. Whether you have only a weekend to spend across town or two weeks to spend across the coutnry, your local Habitat organization would be thankful for your help.

Isn't Habitat for Humanity a religious organization?

While it is true that Habitat for Humanity was created to help God's people in need and is based upon Christian principles, Habitat for Humanity doesn't discriminate among religions at any stage of the process, whether choosing families or accepting volunteers. Regardless of whether you believe in the specific religious beliefs of the creators of Habitat for Humanity, nearly all can agree that providing housing to those in need is a worthy service.

When are houses built?

Homes are built in either a long- or a short-term time schedule. For the long-term schedules, most of the work is completed on the weekends. This type of time-scale is ideal for people who like to help, but can't take of work during the week. On the other hand, the short-term schedule utilizes what is called a building blitz. During a blitz a home is framed and nearly completed in the span of a couple of weeks. It is this kind of speedy construction that you typically read about in the paper. If you are really hard-core, you can join former President Carter on one of his annual campaigns to build dozens of homes quickly.

But I don't know...

...which end of the hammer is up. While most people can at least hold a hammer, few will join knowing everything about home construction. This is not a problem. Habitat for Humanity employs a house leader who oversees all the work done on a house. He or she will be glad to show you how to do any job that is required. Complicated tasks like plumbing, a/c, electrical work, etc. are contracted to qualified subcontractors.

What can I expect?

Once on site, the home is framed. The floors, insulation, and walls are all completed by volunteers. After the house is mostly put together, there is still much painting (usually including making those cool patterns on the ceiling) to be completed. Also, the houses are usually well-landscaped. All of these jobs require your talents. There is something for everyone (ranging from crawling underneath the house to install the vapor barrier to putting in doors to building the floor).

Do I need construction experience?

No experience is needed! We will take anyone who volunteers. The work is simple; i.e., hammering, painting, landscaping. If you don't feel comfortable doing one task you will be allowed to participate in another taask to accommodate your abilities.

Do I need my own tools?

Habitat provides tools at the build site. If you have your own tools it would probably be convenient to bring them. Supplies are limited.

Who can join?

Anyone. The student fees for the Georgia Southern University chapter are $10 per semester. That goes toward office supplies and the purchasing of building materials or helps to support fundraising activities.

I don't want to do construction work, but I want to get involved. How?

There are many opportunities for involvement. Habitat doesn't only build houses. It also educates people of the housing conditions in Statesboro and also does fund raising to build the houses.

E-mail us: habitat@georgiasouthern.edu