The group painted trim and prepped doors for painting in the Winona office one day. The rest of the time they spent in a small town called Harmony, priming and painting a four-bedroom ranch for a single mother with five children. A Habitat for Humanity site leader was on hand at both locations to direct the Forester volunteers, and local groups provided lunch for the team each day.

“I decided to go on this trip because of the incredible opportunity we have as Lake Forest College students to directly help a family in need,” said Lauren Sanford ’15, president of the College’s Habitat for Humanity chapter. “Being able to work side-by-side with the future owner of the house is rewarding and eye opening.”

The students stayed in a cabin throughout the week in Whalan, a town of 60 residents, and spent their free time cooking meals, watching movies, playing games, and enjoying the great, wintry outdoors. Some attempted cross-country skiing and snowshoeing for their first time, and the entire group spent about an hour tubing down a slope on the resort.

In addition to the annual spring break trip, the College’s Habitat for Humanity organization now participates in build days closer to home once or twice a month. Last fall, for example, they helped with houses in Lake and McHenry counties in Illinois and in Lake Geneva, WI. Previous to this year, the group had placed most of its focus on the out-of-state trips.

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