The University’s Community Service Center is recruiting students to participate in the House United Habitat for Humanity Blitz along with Auburn University, according to a press release.
The Blitz Build, which is the first of its kind for the two institutions, will take place June 12 – 18 in Baldwin County and applications are due Wednesday, April 11 the release stated.
This project will involve 40 UA and Auburn students working intensely to build an entire house in just one week, Wahnee Sherman, director of the Community Service Center, said.
Habitat houses are typically built over the course of weeks or months with many volunteers who give various amounts of time in service, Sherman said.
In this project, Sherman said, students will be working in 12-hour shifts. Another difference in this project is that the same volunteers will build an entire house.
Planning for this project began more than a year ago when officials from the University, Auburn and Habitat for Humanity met to develop the plan.
Sherman said it is also unique that students from institutions with intense athletic rivalries will be working together.
“During the week of the Blitz Build, the two institutions will work together, eat together, stay in the same location and do team building activities together,” Sherman said.
The goal of the project, Sherman said, is for students to come together to build a house for a family in need in Baldwin County.
“We hope the project will lend itself to more cooperation and understanding between students from the two institutions and show that these groups can work together to make a positive impact from the state of Alabama,” he said. “Both institutions engage in positive activities in the state, but this project will allow that to happen together.”
Any UA student can apply to be part of this project, Sherman said. There is an application available on the Community Service Center website volunteer.ua.edu. After the deadline, 20 students will be selected to participate. The cost of the trip is $250 and includes, meals, lodging and transportation.
“Being part of a project like this is meaningful to students,” Sherman said. “There is a tangible result of the service at the end of the week, a home for a family in Baldwin County. Students will get to know other UA students along with students from Auburn. They will learn more about another section of the state of Alabama and engage in meaningful service.”
