Meredith College Habitat Chapter
Founded in 2006, the Meredith College Habitat for Humanity Chapter is working deligently on the chapter's first goal: raise $75,000 to fully sponsor a Habitat home in Wake County.
Planning has included three creative fundraisers:
- a sale of hand-painted birdhouses ($25 each)
- a 12-hour Box-a-Thon
- a benefit shopping event at a coffee shop
Until the funding is raised (at $30,000, the Chapter may be able to plan a groundbreaking) and until Habitat Wake pairs the sponsoring Chapter with a homeowner family, the young women are volunteering to construct other homes. In addition, the collegians tutor some children of Habitat homeowners.
- Said, Hayley McPhail, 2007-2008 president of the chapter: “In recent years, Meredith College community members have volunteered to help people in Sri Lanka after the tsunami and in the Gulf Coast region of the U.S. after Hurricane Katrina. With the formal formation of our Chapter, we'll work closer to campus to help a family in Wake County.”
For more information on the Chapter's events and progress (as well as to order a birdhouse), please contact, mchabitat@meredith.edu or visit the Chapter website.
House Sponsorship Kick-Off
On October 4, 2007, the collegians hosted a rally on campus to raise awareness of the need for affordable housing. The kick-off consisted of three parts: a Box-a-thon from noon until midnight, a “Bricks for Bucks” fundraiser from 1 p.m. until midnight, and a 6 p.m. ceremony featuring representatives from Meredith and Habitat for Humanity of Wake County.
During this 11-hour fundraiser, more than 200 Meredith First Year Experience (FYE) students each spent one hour decorating doorstop bricks.
The Meredith Chapter challenged students "living" in the boxes to raise $100. These groups participated: Class of 2010, the Meredith International Association, Meredith Christian Association, White Iris Circle, Meredith Entertainment Association, Phi Delta Phi, the Student Social Work Association, Meredith Association for Families and Children, the Meredith Recreation Association, and a faculty/staff team.
Students Drive in Nails as part of Meredith’s new Habitat Club
By Heather Blackwood, Meredith College ’07
Throughout the community, Meredith students have pushed up their sleeves and gotten dirt under their fingernails, all for the cause of doing something good for others. Meredith’s Service Council called for available students to work at a Habitat for Humanity site on Saturday, January 27, 2008, and students jumped into action as part of an effort to start an Habitat club on campus.
The Habitat service opportunity required no previous experience, just the willingness and enthusiasm to participate. However, several students had previously either volunteered for similar projects or worked with Habitat.
- Marquita McCoy '08 said: “I have been volunteering for Habitat since my freshman year. I have done Habitat with Hayley McPhail previously and she told me she started a Habitat club and I told her that I would love to get involved.”
Hayley McPhail '09 has a passion to help others who deserve a helping hand. She spearheaded a campaign to organize a Habitat for Humanity club on campus in order to, one day, get Meredith its own chapter.
- McPhil said: “We are a club on Meredith’s campus that works with Wake County’s branch of Habitat. I wanted to see how much dedication I got from participants with the club before I began the process of forming a chapter.”
Building upon her own experience on a Habitat trip, McPhail wanted others to see her enthusiasm and devotion to this special cause.
- McPhil continued: “I went on a spring break trip with NC State’s Habitat chapter my freshman year. That was such an amazing and inspiring week for me. I wanted others on our campus to be able to experience what I did.”
During the January 27 workday, student volunteers picked up the sheetrock, the nails and hammers and started swinging away.
- “We nailed OSB [oriented strand board] up on the house,” McCoy said. “We also nailed in Tyvek, which protects the outside of the house from water damage.”
The experience Meredith’s volunteers had is something they say will remain with them for a long time. These students helped build a home for a deserving family.
- Marquita McCoy '08 added: “I love volunteering with Habitat. It is amazing all the things you learn about making a house. I would definitely encourage others to volunteer because you learn so much about others around you. There is a lot of need in our communities and we as college students can make a difference in our communities.”
After seeing the gratitude on the homeowner’s face, volunteers realized their hard work paid off and made them consider volunteering again.
- “I know that working through Habitat has given me a passion to serve others,” McPhail said.
Meredith offers opportunities to travel to sites in the Southeast to work on Habitat houses. However, these trips are designated for school breaks when many students have other plans. McPhail wants to see more workdays scheduled so more students have the chance to participate.
- “I want more students to have the opportunity to experience the joy in building a home for someone,” McPhail said. “I thought in starting a club we could have more workdays each semester and more people could be involved and experience the different areas of Habitat such as construction, deconstruction and the reuse center.”
McPhail says that since its creation the club has been well accepted throughout the Meredith community. She thinks students should find one thing they enjoy doing that makes a difference and volunteer in whichever capacity available to display that excitement.
- Sarah Mulla '10 agreed. “Volunteering for Habitat was a great, rewarding experience. If I got the chance, I would most definitely volunteer again and encourage others to do the same.”
Royal Bean $4 Per Bag Fundraiser
Royal Bean Coffee House & Gathering Space donated $4 for each 1 lb. of coffee purchased between November 1, 2007 and January 31, 2008. The creative benefit shopping idea raised $448. This Hillsborough Street coffeehouse, owned and operated by a Meredith alumnae, is across from Meredith College in Raleigh. Art from Meredith students adorns the walls.
