Thursday, March 20, 2008

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Contact:  Ebonie Reid

772-223-9940

Martin County supports Habitat for Humanity’s Collegiate Challenge

Collegiate Challenge is an alternative school break program that provides students the opportunity to spend their week long school break building a home in partnership with Habitat for Humanity affiliates across the United States.  Habitat for Humanity of Martin County has participated for the past 3 years and has hosted 8 different college groups.  The Faith Relations Committee for Habitat for Humanity of Martin County takes charge when a group signs up through Habitat International’s website.  The committee sets the group up with housing at one of the local churches in Martin County for the week.  Also, area churches are called upon to provide lunches and dinners for the students.  Any college group who participates in Collegiate Challenge is required to provide a donation to the Martin County affiliate set at the affiliate’s discretion.  It is truly wonderful to see God’s work first hand through these students. 

During the  week of March 2, Habitat for Humanity of Martin County was visited by Regis University in Denver, Colorado.  There were 11 students accompanied by 1 staff leader.  New Hope Fellowship Church in Palm City provided housing for the students during their stay.  The college group loved the churches’ youth area and had hot showers every morning.  The Martin County Red Cross lent cots for the students to use.

Lunches and dinners were provided all week.  People in the community and churches who provided meals were Carol Gillooly, Jensen Beach Community Church and St. Martin DePorres Catholic Church in Jensen Beach, Bethel Lutheran Church in Hobe Sound, Holy Cross Catholic Church and Family Worship Center in Indiantown, and Temple Beit HaYam in Stuart. 

The group from Regis University worked on two houses located in Booker Park in Indiantown.  They installed windows, worked on the roof, interior framing and even hung drywall.

It is not all work for the student, they tour the area and spend time at the beach.  The community really steps up when the college groups come to town.  This time locals took them to pick oranges and grapefruit and for airboat rides. 

This program would not be successful for Martin County if it was not for the churches and individuals who support Habitat for Humanity of Martin County.  Habitat would like to say THANK YOU to all the churches that have helped with Collegiate Challenge.

College groups in the past who have come to help our community in Martin County were Madonna University in Minnesota, Gannon University in Erie, PA, University of SC-Aiken , University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, MIT in Cambridge, MA, UCLA in Los Angeles, CA, and Pepperdine University in Malibu, CA.

Habitat for Humanity of Martin County is a non-profit, volunteer-driven organization that extends the opportunity to purchase simple, decent, affordable homes to local families who would not otherwise have that chance.  Three key resources are necessary in order to make homeownership a reality for Habitat partner families:  funds, volunteers and advocacy.

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