For the first time in 18 years, IU Habitat for Humanity will co-sponsor a house.
The organization has raised the $35,000 necessary to partner in building a house for a local family in the fall of this year. Sponsoring a house in totality costs $70,000.
Typically, the IU chapter does several fundraisers throughout the year that they pass along to Habitat for various uses but do not raise enough money to officially co-sponsor a house, said Maria Khan, director of fundraising for IU Habitat for Humanity.
Kyle O’Malley, vice president of IU Habitat for Humanity, said it was the students’ dedication that allowed them to achieve a goal that had been out of reach for so long.
“We really had a great group this year that was tremendously dedicated and passionate about the cause,” O’Malley said. “It really galvanized everyone toward a meeting that goal of getting to sponsor a house.”
Habitat for Humanity works in tandem with families who are in difficult living situations and in need of better housing, said Kerry Thomson, CEO of Habitat for Humanity in Bloomington.
Through the organization, these families buy homes with an interest-free mortgage. They must have proven financial stability to be able to afford the house and pledge to work 250 hours alongside other volunteers to help build it.
Studies show remarkable improvements in quality of life for families who have Habitat homes. Their children are healthier, perform better in school and are more likely to graduate and attend college.
O’Malley said it was statistics like these that made him want to get involved with the organization. After learning that Monroe County was among the worst in Indiana for families living below the poverty line, O’Malley said he wanted to find a way to give back.
“Habitat is effective in breaking the cycle of poverty,” O’Malley said. “When I saw some of the statistics about the effects it has on families, it was something that I really connected with.”
Because students play a major role in running up housing prices in Bloomington, Khan said it’s fitting that students give back to the community through organizations like Habitat for Humanity.
“The fact that one in five people in Monroe County live in poverty has a lot to do with IU students because we drive up the cost of living,” Khan said. “We have to live here so we’ll pay just about anything. It makes sense for students to do their best to help give back and fix that.”
Habitat offers students a unique experience by allowing them to work on build sites, Khan said. While nonprofit work can often be solely based in fundraising, where people may not ever see the effects of their contributions, students can physically witness the outcome of their work with Habitat.
“Habitat is completely different than most organizations because you can see the effects,” Khan said. “These are local people in the community, and you are actually getting to work alongside them and giving your blood, sweat and tears to something tangible.”
Thomson, who has been with the organization for 25 years, began her work with Habitat when she volunteered as a college student and was similarly struck by how much she could contribute, even with little experience.
“Habitat was the first organization where it felt like they genuinely needed me,” Thomson said. “I could see the house was different when I came in the morning than when I left, and the thing that kept me coming back was that, having no construction experience at all, I actually made a difference.”
After the success of their work this year, O’Malley said he hopes the group can continue to sponsor houses more often in the future.
“We’ve made it a point of emphasis to transition well and try to make sure all the knowledge gets passed on to our successors,” O’Malley said. “We’re in the process now to ensure that next year they can meet their goal again and pass that down.”
