I could use numbers and facts to convince you there is a worldwide, national and local homelessness problem, but you already know that there are far too many people who have far too little. What you may not know is that there is an enjoyable, rewarding and enlightening way to help others obtain affordable housing.
Milliard and Linda Fuller founded Habitat For Humanity International in 1976 as a non-profit, ecumenical Christian housing ministry. Today, there are 1,000 Habitat affiliates in all fifty states and the District of Columbia. In addition, Habitat for Humanity operates 100 building projects in over 40foreign countries. Since its founding, the organization has built over 30,000 homes.
Habitat for Humanity is a partnership. Builders, volunteers and homeowners work together to build communities. This cooperation is complex, and for this reason, Habitat for Humanity will never "solve" the homelessness problem. Prospective homeowners are carefully screened and selected because a great deal is demanded of them. They must contribute a down payment, monthly mortgage payments, and hundreds of hours of "sweat equity." The average Habitat house in the United States costs the homeowner $34,000.
Although this approach prevents Habitat for Humanity from helping all those who lack suitable housing, it enables the organization to build communities among people. Habitat volunteers do not work on behalf of an abstract person in need, but rather with dedicated homeowners. This system dissolves an "us and them" mentality and builds understanding and friendship. If this sounds trite, think about the fact that when lunch time rolls around on a worksite, everyone is sweating, hungry and wearing the same uniform of practical boots and workgloves. At lunch time on a Habitat site, homeowners and volunteers are indistinguishable.
Habitat connects people of various socio-economic backgrounds, but it also provides other valuable connections. The organization unites people who live within the same geographic location, but it also forges links between regions of the United States and the world. Because Habitat for Humanity is an international organization, the Habitat community is without boundaries.
As a Habitat volunteer, I have personally made such connections. I have worked in Homestead, Fla. and Montgomery, Ala.. Through these experiences, I have learned about other parts of the country and met a variety of interesting people. In Florida, I worked with Americorps volunteers and sampled Spanish food in a Miami restaurant. Years after Hurricane Andrew had devastated Florida, I saw the long-lasting damage of its impact. In Montgomery, Ala., I sat in a church where Martin Luther King, Jr. preached and visited the old Confederate statehouse. These pieces of culture and history were inextricably tied my work on the Habitat sight. Although my volunteer work involved spending many hours each day painting the interiors of house, I saw far more than the sum of four walls.
I can think of no better example of Habitat's unifying force than the fact that I, although Jewish, choose to work with an ostensibly Christian organization. In both Homestead and Montgomery, Christian associations hosted my volunteer group. Despite their strong religious convictions, they graciously respected the non-religious nature of our organization. Through tolerance, Habitat unites people of diverse personal beliefs.
Many Dartmouth students complain about the isolation of Hanover. Getting involved with Habitat for Humanity on campus is a powerful way of meeting new people and learning about the Upper Valley first hand. This area is far more complex and interesting than the gentrified downtown of Hanover. By volunteering for Habitat, you will become closer to other human beings who may have different backgrounds than you. You will build homes, but you will also build that which cannot be contained by walls.
