Students to build home for hurricane victims

The students need to raise $22,000 to complete funding for the project.
By HAROLD GWIN
VINDICATOR EDUCATION WRITER
NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. -- A group of Westminster College students say they are going to build a house in just one day to help victims of the hurricane-devastated Gulf Coast.
They're not traveling to the Gulf to do it, but will build it right on campus.
The Westminster chapter of Habitat for Humanity and the Lawrence County Habitat for Humanity intend to make a New Orleans' family's dream come true this Thanksgiving by building the house Nov. 23 and shipping it by trucks that night.
National Habitat for Humanity is behind what is a nationwide campaign to build a "house in a box" to aid hurricane victims, said Sarah Milanovich, a senior business major from Rimersburg, Pa., and president of the college Habitat chapter.
Funding
"They're doing this all around the country," she said, adding that the Westminster students got involved when she was approached by a member of the New Wilmington community who knew of an anonymous donor willing to put up $22,000 to help finance a local "house in a box" project.
A second anonymous donor has agreed to put up the $15,000 to cover the cost of shipping the house to New Orleans, but an additional $38,000 is needed to complete the project financing, Milanovich said.
The Westminster chapter has launched a "22 and 22" fund-raising drive, seeking to come up with a $22,000 match for the original donation in just 22 days, she said.
Lawrence County Habitat is being asked to come up with the rest, she said.
The exact size of the house hasn't been determined yet, Milanovich said, explaining that the chapter is awaiting the arrival of blueprints from national Habitat headquarters.
Shipped to New Orleans
The plan is to completely build the frame, including interior and exterior wall sheathing, on campus and then dismantle it in sections and ship it to New Orleans. The rest of the material needed to complete the construction will be shipped along with the framing, she said.
The Westminster house and others from across the country will be stored in New Orleans until communities in that area are ready to rebuild, Milanovich said, explaining that the national Habitat office will coordinate that end of the project.
"We may never know who gets [our] house," she said.
"Westminster has had the pleasure of being home to a Habitat chapter for almost two decades," said Keturah Laney, Westminster chapel assistant and Habitat for Humanity adviser. "We continue to do exciting projects each year, but none so far have been as incredible as this."
Each spring break, the chapter travels to other regions of the country to assist in Habitat construction or other projects but has never built anything here.
"I know that many people in this area want to donate money and be able to actually see what good it's done," Laney said. "This is that type of project: Donate, then come and see us build."
Donations
Milanovich said the chapter's 35 members are seeking sponsorships from their home churches, selling nails for the house at $1 each and selling $10 tickets for an Internet golf game to raise the $22,000.
Anyone wishing to make a donation can contact Laney at (724) 946-7117 or Milanovich at (724) 946-6761.
Local members of the Westminster chapter are: Jenna Cunningham, daughter of Roger and Tammera Cunningham of New Castle; Erika Titus, daughter of David and Angela DeEulio of New Castle; Ryan Moore, son of Robert and Linda Moore of Darlington, Pa.; Amber Bollard, daughter of Tim and Brenda Bollard of Jamestown; Rebecca Cramer, daughter of Richard and Marilyn Cramer of New Wilmington; Jennifer Corkadel of New Wilmington; Sarah Bender, daughter of Lee and Judith Bender of Salem; and Dominique Galletta, daughter of Dominic and Theresa Galletta of Struthers.
gwin@vindy.com