March 8, 2009
Spring break for 65 volunteers Westminster will take them to Biloxi, Mississippi, as part of a Habitat for Humanity work trip. The Westminster College chapter of Habitat for Humanity observes its 20th anniversary by sending the group south for spring break March 15-21. Check out our YouTube coverage as we talk with college chaplain Jim Mohr.
This year also marks the 20th anniversary of Habitat's Spring Break Collegiate Challenge, an event in which the Westminster chapter has always participated. The Westminster group will be part of more than 12,000 students who will travel to 200 locations to build houses through the program.
In Biloxi, the Westminster group, also known as the "Biloxi Builders," will partner with Habitat for Humanity of the Mississippi Gulf Coast (HFHMGC). HFHMGC still faces a great deal of work building homes for those displaced by Hurricane Katrina. The Westminster crew will work at several sites in Harrison and Jackson counties near the Volunteer Village housing area. Camp Victor Ministries, operated by the Lutheran Episcopal Ministries of Mississippi, will be their home for the week.
Leadership for the Westminster trip will be provided by Carey Anne M. LaSor, assistant to the College chaplain and Habitat campus adviser; the Rev. James Mohr, College chaplain; and Dr. Jacque King, Westminster assistant professor of business and Habitat faculty adviser.
Other Westminster faculty and staff making the trip are President Richard H. Dorman and his wife, Beverly, and Gina Sharbaugh, senior associate director of admissions. Additional volunteers Lynette King, sister of Dr. King; Angie Mohr, daughter of Rev. Mohr; and Jack Reed, a student in Westminster's Lifelong Learning Program, will also travel with the group.
"Several things excite me about this trip," LaSor said. "First, there is the fact that the students filled it up so quickly and that our waiting list was long. Once the Habitat members had the opportunity to sign up, we opened it to the campus. In less than 24 hours, the trip was filled. To me, that means we have a lot of students who see value in taking the challenge to do something for someone else and not themselves."
"I am encouraged and deeply touched by the reasons some of these students have decided to make this trip with us," she continued. "Some have been there and know how much work there is to do; they simply want to go back and keep working. Some have never been outside their comfort zone and felt safe taking that risk with all of us. Some know that graduation is coming and they need to evaluate their life's choices, and the lens' that this trip offers is what they want to look into."
"We are going where the eye of the hurricane made landfall," LaSor explained. "New Orleans has received a lot of publicity because of the flooding, but in Jackson and Harrison counties-along the Mississippi Gulf Coast-entire towns were washed out to sea. A lot of work has been done, but there is a long way to go, and we are proud to be part of building hope into people's lives."
Habitat for Humanity International is an ecumenical Christian ministry that welcomes to its work all people dedicated to the cause of eliminating poverty housing. Since its founding in 1976, Habitat has built more than 300,000 houses worldwide, providing simple, decent, and affordable shelter for more than 1.5 million people. Visit www.habitat.org for more information.
Contact LaSor at (724) 946-7365 or e-mail meyerca@westminster.edu for more information about the Westminster chapter and the trip.
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