Holy Cross to Build House in Worcester with Habitat for Humanity

WORCESTER, Mass. – There will be a groundbreaking ceremony for a new home to be constructed on Grove St. in Worcester, opposite Indian Lake and Morgan Park, on Friday, Oct. 5, at 10:45 a.m. Sponsored by Greater Worcester Habitat for Humanity, Inc., the Holy Cross Chapter of Habitat for Humanity and the Builders Association of Central Massachusetts will be working together to build the house. Millard Fuller, president and founder of Habitat for Humanity, will be present at the ceremony. All are welcome to attend. The Worcester Builders Association will put up the foundation of the house, including walls, windows and doors. Holy Cross volunteers will finish the rest of the house, such as erecting wall boards and painting. The house is scheduled for completion at Christmas. The recipient of a $15,000 matching grant from the Campus Chapters and Youth Programs (CCYP) department of Habitat for Humanity, the College has sponsored events such as cookouts and student/faculty basketball and softball games, as well as solicited corporate donations, to raise the funds needed to complete the project.

Although this is Holy Cross' first Habitat House, the College has a long-standing tradition of volunteering with the group. A chapter of Habitat for Humanity was established at Holy Cross last year. For the past two years, groups of student volunteers have traveled around the country during Spring Break to build low-income housing through the Habitat for Humanity Collegiate Challenge. Both years, Holy Cross has sent more students on Collegiate Challenge than any other college in the United States. The Holy Cross Habitat for Humanity program, which is run entirely by students, provides volunteers year-round at sites in Worcester and Northboro. In addition, Holy Cross is one of only a few colleges with a Habitat for Humanity International affiliation. This past summer, 12 Holy Cross students traveled to Kenya, Africa, to build homes with Habitat for Humanity International. This was the fourth year that Holy Cross has sent a contingent to Africa.