The Mississippi State University chapter of Habitat for Humanity will host the new “Nail it for a Dollar” fundraiser this Saturday, Apr. 12 from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. on The Drill Field next to the Union.
“We will be selling Habitat for Humanity t-shirts and will have an event set up to raise money,” fundraising chairperson Heather Wilson said. “For one dollar, anyone can have the chance to drive a nail through a board with one hit. If it goes all the way through, you win a t-shirt.”
The fundraiser is part of a long-term goal to for the MSU chapter to eventually complete a house solely by MSU students and volunteers involved through the chapter. “They [fundraisers] also help students on campus gain awareness of what Habitat for Humanity stands for,” Wilson said. “People often mistake Habitat as a giveaway program. People actually pay for the houses we build, but we offer houses that are available at a more affordable cost.”
Affordable housing is widely recognized to be housing that costs no more than 30 percent of the occupant’s income, including utilities. A recent study released by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) found that “the number of houses and apartments that families with low-wage incomes can afford to rent is shrinking, burdening more families with high housing costs and threatening many with homelessness”
MSU Habitat for Humanity was established in 1987 but fell dormant during the 1990s. Last year, interested students resurrected the chapter and developed plans for several new projects.
The MSU chapter is a student-run, student-led organization that exists currently as a sub-agency for the Starkville Area Habitat for Humanity (SAHFH), an agency of the United Way of Oktibbeha County. The campus chapter aids SAHFH by providing labor, educating the campus community and raising funds for new homes.
“I was involved with Habitat for Humanity for a year and really saw how it can help families in need,” senior Blaine Totty said. “It’s a really satisfying feeling when you see a house fully develop from the ground up by people who are volunteering their own time to help others. I hope the Mississippi State chapter keeps up the good work.”
The MSU chapter also sponsors the annual Collegiate Challenge that allows students an opportunity to do volunteer work on houses over the week of Spring Break. More than 9,000 high school and college students in the United States participated in Collegiate Challenge during Spring Break 2001, while an additional 1,100 students participated during other seasons this past year.
There are many ways that MSU Students and other members of the Starkville community can get involved with the campus chapter. The MSU chapter offers opportunities for those who may have only a little time, and for those who may want to get more deeply involved.
For information on individual committees of the MSU chapter and ways to get involved, visit the Web site at: www.msstate.edu/org/habitat.