Photo courtesy of Emma Gargano
Habitat for Humanities helping with a build last year in Punta Gorda, Florida.
By Desmond Bernal
The Habitat for Humanities club on campus is working with South Shore Habitat for Humanities to build a home starting October 31 on 10 Electric Ave.
The club has a strong relationship with South Shore Habitat for Humanities and works closely with its development officer, Joseph Regan.
The goal of the club is to work with South Shore Habitat for Humanities to help build more equitable homes for people, president of the club, senior Emma Gargano said.
“My favorite thing is that it is not a handout but a hand up,” Gargano said.
A student-run club, where the students decide on the projects they want to volunteer in. The students decide on things such as building dates and fundraising.
“Everything we do in the club is run by our student executive board,” Gargano said.
The students who volunteer on the various projects are able to not only build relationships with the students in the club and but with the contractors on the site and the families who will live in the home.
“You get to meet a lot of people you never thought you would form relationships with,” junior Michaela Pantazelos said.
Students learn from the contractors on site about safety procedures before they assist with any work. Students help with everything from putting drywall up to building the roof, Gargano said.
Gargano also said the pandemic could change the ways these relationships are encountered due to socially distant measures.
The pandemic has forced the club to make some changes in the way they operate this year.
Gargano said every year the club plans a trip during spring break to volunteer with a chapter of Habitat for Humanities, but due to the pandemic, they are not allowed to this year.
Last year, the club went down to Punta Gorda, Florida, and partnered up with Charlotte County for Habitat for Humanities for a project. In years past, they have traveled to South Carolina and Lousiana.
In recent years, the club was allowed to bring 15 students to help volunteer on building projects, but due to Covid, this year the club is allowed to have six students on site.
Students must maintain social distant while on the build as well as sanitizing the tools after each build.
The club was set back due to many delays from the pandemic, the club plans to speed up the work process before winter hits.
“The family really needs this house obviously because they have had so many setbacks - it is important that we keep doing these build days, so the family can get their house,” Pantazelos said.
If anyone is interested in joining the club or volunteering with a build can contact Emma Gargano at egargano@students.stonehill.edu or Michaela Pantazelos at mpantazelos@students.stonehill.edu.
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