Our Crowdfunding Groups
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Help Panther Habitat for Humanity (Main Campus) travel to Jackson County, Florida to build a house for a family in need over Spring Break.
Every March, a caravan of minivans leaves the cold, grey hills of Pittsburgh and travels south to build houses with Habitat for Humanity over spring break. This week of service is part of Habitat’s Collegiate Challenge program, which challenges college students to work directly with Habitat affiliates to further our vision of a world in which everyone has a simple, decent place to live.
Collegiate Challenge 2015 in Goldsboro, NC. This house started as a foundation and one wall, and in 5 days we framed the rest of the walls, hung sheeting and installed the roof trusses.
Our Collegiate Challenge trips typically consist of 5 6-hour days on the build site, where we frame and raise the walls, install windows and doors, raise the roof trusses and shingle the roof, among dozens of other small and large jobs--whatever’s needed to make the house complete. It’s a great chance for all of us to learn new skills--whether it’s simply hammering a nail for the first time or framing an entire wall of the house.
Raising the walls is a team effort!
We frequently work alongside the future homeowners, who are required to put at least 300 hours of “sweat equity” into their new homes, and this is a wonderful opportunity for us to connect with them. Hearing their stories is very inspiring, and it always energizes our members to continue supporting the cause of affordable housing long after we’ve returned to campus.
Working alongside future Habitat homeowners is one of the best parts of Collegiate Challenge!
As President Jimmy Carter said,
“Habitat gives us an opportunity which is very difficult to find: to reach out and work side by side with those who never have had a decent home—but work with them on a completely equal basis. It’s not a big-shot, little-shot relationship. It’s a sense of equality.”
We are asking for your support to help our group of 35 students travel to Jackson County, Florida to serve with Habitat for Humanity over our spring break. We hope to substantially reduce the cost of the trip so that everyone who wants to attend the trip is able to do so, regardless of their financial situation. Your generous donation to our campaign will help cover:
Minivan rental to travel from Pittsburgh to Florida
Group meals
Local housing accommodations
Supplies and safety equipment used on the build site
Program fees
Every little bit helps, and we are very thankful for your generous support. We look forward to updating you with stories and pictures from our week of service!
Nails are vital for the structural integrity of the house. They attach pieces of lumber to form walls and hold the trusses together to make the roof. Every nail is important and without nails the house would fall apart.
Tools such as hammers, tape measures, pencils, pry bars, chalk lines, and knives are essential for building a Habitat Home. Tool belts help to keep all of these tools together with each of the builders so they can make progress on the construction without having to stop and locate a tool.
The safety of the builders is one of the most important factors on the build site. Safety equipment such as goggles, gloves, and hard hats are imperative in keeping the volunteers safe.
The circular saw is an important tool on the build site. Particle board and lumber needs to be cut to the correct size so all of the components of the house fit together correctly without any gaps or overhangs.
Lumber is the skeleton that holds the house together. Without a sturdy frame, the walls and roof would collapse upon their own weight. Lumber is essential for maintaining structural integrity of the house.
A house needs doors and windows to be livable. The home owner needs to be able to enter and leave the building and enjoy sunlight while inside. These amenities are essential for every house we build.
A roof is important to keep out the rain and snow and provide shade from the sun. Every house needs a roof made of trusses, particle board, tar paper, and of course shingles.
