Hoosiers bring hope home

Around here, "h" stands for Hoosiers. Lately, Habitat for Humanity has given the letter a new connotation, using a red "h" as the motif for its petition drive. Around campus it stands for Hoosiers helping Habitat build more affordable local housing.\nToday the IU chapter of Habitat, working with the chapter at Bloomington High School North, begins collecting about 10,000 signatures. If it succeeds, Habitat will be added to the list of charities that you can contribute to when you register in the fall of 2006. The Rape Crisis Fund, IU Dance Marathon and Little 500 are already on the list. \nHalf of IU's current undergraduates probably won't be on campus to register once that option becomes available, but juniors and seniors should sign the petition just the same. \nHabitat for Humanity International constructs a safe, affordable house about every half hour around the world, but here in Bloomington, the campus chapter has to save for years to sponsor just one house. The chapter wants desperately to do better, and the families on the waiting list for homes desperately need a safe, warm place to live.\nHabitat honors hard, honest work. The families put up a down payment and make monthly, interest-free mortgage payments. But most importantly, the families invest countless hours of their own precious time alongside other volunteers to build their homes. \nAlthough Habitat is a Christian organization, it does not discriminate on the basis of religious preference. It works around the world, independently of governments, and will build decent shelters for about 1 million people this year.\nLet's make it easier for IU's chapter to house more Hoosiers. By gathering the required signatures of support, the IU chapter of Habitat can get on the list. Chapter President Tony Bruno said he thinks the organization can raise $50,000 to $60,000 from the Web site -- enough money to sponsor one and a half new houses per year. \nThe opportunity to raise so much money quickly will help the group continue its proactive work. No one sits around to get a Habitat house built. If you can volunteer for Habitat, that's great, and it will tire you out. But picking up a pen to sign the petition is effortless. \nThe Habitat petition deserves your support to get on the list. Once it's there, if you or your parents have seven extra bucks, Habitat deserves that, too. But without signatures, Habitat cannot get on the list. \nFind someone with a petition form and sign it. All you need is your name, e-mail address and 10-digit student ID number. It's simple, it's free and it will give Habitat a much better shot at helping more people own their own homes. You might even score a hot yellow T-shirt to match that LiveStrong bracelet.\nAll it costs is your signature to make "h" stand for Hoosiers giving other Hoosiers hope and a home.