Habitat chapter unveils house that URI built

04/06/05 - The University of Rhode Island and South County Habitat For Humanity unveiled last Saturday a new home for a family with special needs. Jeff and Maria Collins, along with their four children, celebrated the completion of their new home in Westerly last Saturday at 2 p.m. Members of the volunteer workforce who helped build the home attended the ceremony. U. S. Senator Jack Reed, URI President Robert L. Carothers and Provost Beverly Swanson spoke during the event.

According to Katy McCurdy, associate dean of Human Development, the family was able to move out of their apartment into the new home after the ceremony. She said the family worked with the contractor to develop a home that was wheelchair accessible for their special needs child. She said the Collins were very appreciative of their new home.

"It was wonderful," Susan Roush, associate dean of Human Sciences and Services, said, after she saw the family during the ceremony. "They [the Collins family] were very grateful."

Roush, who coordinated fund-raising for the home, said that HSS decided to sponsor a house with Habitat for Humanity in fall 2003. She said that throughout the year, the college held events such as bowl-a-thons, golf tournaments and charity luncheons, as well as direct appeals to certain sponsors, in order to raise $40,000 to complete the house.

According to URI, the two colleges involved in the project - HSS and HD - were able to organize more than 15,000 hours of volunteer work. McCurdy, who worked with the Collins family during the construction of their home, said that Habitat for Humanity requires the benefiting family to put in 300 hours of labor or "sweat equity."

"They participated in all aspects," Roush said.

Roush said HSS's joint effort with Habitat for Humanity was one of many service activities the college is involved in each year.

"I think that this project captured what Human Sciences and Services is about, affordable houses for families," Roush said.

Habitat for Humanity is a non-profit organization which helps people build or renovate affordable housing. According to the organization's Web site, http://www.habitat.org, the houses are sold for no profit to qualifying low-income individuals or families.