It was one day of a four-month project to restore a house in Streamwood, IL for the awaiting Soto family of Elgin. It also was one example of the College’s Habitat for Humanity chapter’s efforts to keep more of its work local.

“We have been working with McHenry County, Lake Geneva, WI, and Streamwood,” said president Tara Busse ’13, a four-year member.

Busse said the group hopes to do about five build days each semester, and next semester, she wants to try and build in a few new communities.

Historically, the student organization has placed its focus on an annual spring break trip to help rehabilitate homes in places such as Tahlequah, OK; El Paso, TX; Fayetteville, NC; Trenton, NJ; and San Jose, CA.

“I decided that it is important to work with the surrounding communities,” Busse said of the change. “It gives more students an opportunity to participate.”

The group still will travel for spring break, too; this year’s destination is being finalized but likely will be somewhere in the South. There is even talk about a winter trip, Busse said.

Vice President Kaya Cuper ‘14, a three-year member, hopes to expand the group’s reach even further in the future - to sites abroad.

The Streamwood house had been vacant for 20 years before Habitat for Humanity adopted the project. Work started in August, and Dan Jensen, a project director for the global organization, said he anticipates it will be completed before the end of the year. Volunteer groups labor at the site on Wednesdays and Saturdays, making progress on tasks inside or outside depending on the weather and sometimes learning how to use new tools, such as jackhammers for demolishing concrete slabs.

The College’s chapter comprises about 20-30 student members, and leaders say they are always looking for more volunteers. In addition to participating in build days, they also advocate on campus for homelessness and poverty and organize awareness events, such as a gingerbread house build.

Habitat for Humanity meets every other Wednesday at 6 p.m. in the Senior 25 Lounge.

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