WKU News

WKU’s Habitat for Humanity Campus Chapter will be sending a volunteer group to Madisonville for fall break trip Wednesday-Saturday (Oct. 9-12).

Habitat for Humanity is an ecumenical Christian organization that seeks to help eradicate substandard housing by helping working class poor families who are in substandard housing reach the ultimate goal of home ownership. The partner families must put in “sweat equity” instead of a down payment for their homes and then make monthly zero interest mortgage payments until the home is theirs.

The WKU group will travel to Madisonville to assist the local Habitat for Humanity Affiliate with various projects. The group will be working on clearing a lot and beginning the foundation of a new home as well as possibly assisting in the Habitat ReStore in Madisonville. At the ReStore gently used merchandise is sold to the public, with funding assisting the Habitat affiliate in that area helping to support the mission of Habitat for Humanity.

The program works to build houses and hope in communities. Students learn a great deal about building, issues of substandard housing, working and living within a community, cultural differences and most of all themselves as a result of the program.

Participants in the trips include: Bryan Reaka, faculty member, WKU Department of Architectural and Manufacturing Sciences; student leader Savanah Russ, a senior in Paralegal Studies from Jacksonville, Florida; Allison Hohenstein, a senior in Economics and Chinese from Radcliff; Jacob Marshall, a senior in Civil Engineering from Rineyville; Taylor Robinson, a senior in Physics from Franklin, Tennessee; Isabelle Eliassen, a junior in International Affairs and Chinese from Edgewood; Robert Bright, a senior in Political Science from Campbellsville; David Codell, a freshman in Construction Management from Lexington; Kevin Zink, a junior in Mechanical Engineering Technology from Bowling Green; and Alexander Miller, a junior in Mechanical Engineering from Bowling Green.

Contact: Bryan Reaka, (270) 745-7032; or Savanah Russ, savanah.russ573@topper.wku.edu