As they have been doing for ten years, the freshmen class of Roanoke College in Virginia wields hammers, saws and T-squares to build a modular home for someone in need in the Roanoke Valley, this year for an immigrant family originally from Burundi, Africa, according to roanoke.

Working with Habitat for Humanity volunteers, over 500 students built this house in a matter of three days for Athuman Shaban, Zayana Abdallah and their four children, according to construction director Brian Clark of the BLITZ build. MHProNews understands the family has lived in three different countries, including refugee camps, before arriving in the U. S. in 2008, and are relieved they will not have to move again.

Jesse Griffin, director of the center for civic engagement at Roanoke College, first experienced a similar project on the campus of the University of South Carolina and established the program at Roanoke. In fact, students from SC come to the Roanoke Valley during the fall and spring breaks to work on a Habitat home. This particular home marks the 200^th for Habitat in the Roanoke Valley.

In the beginning the modular homes were one-story, then two-story, but in the last three years they have all been five module homes. Many students will continue working on this house each Saturday until it is completed by the end of the year.

Habitat for Humanity volunteer and Builder’s Club member Jim McCarthy has worked on each house over the ten year period. “This is such a great opportunity for students,” said McCarthy. “It’s important to plant the seed for volunteerism.” ##

(Photo credit: roanoke/Candy Long-modules for modular being sited by Habitat for Humanity in Roanoke, VA)

Article submitted by Matthew J. Silver to Daily Business News-MHProNews.