California students volunteer with local Habitat affiliate during spring break
Habitat for Humanity of Northern Fox Valley is hosting 13 student volunteers March 14-21, 2015, during their spring break. The students are participating in Habitat's national alternative break program, Collegiate Challenge.
"We look forward to having the student volunteers again this year. This is our second time hosting students during their spring break, and we are very appreciative of their efforts," said Olivia Vlahos, Habitat of Northern Fox Valley's volunteer & outreach manager. "Collegiate Challenge provides the students with an opportunity to help build affordable housing in the area. The work they'll do during their spring break will have a lasting impact in our community."
The students are visiting from California State University - Chico in California and will volunteer Monday, March 16, Wednesday, March 18, Thursday, March 19, and a half-day Friday, March 20. Their Community Action Volunteers in Education (CAVE) group is a student-led, nonprofit volunteer organization, offering you more than 15 diverse volunteer programs, including the alternative spring break. Barring inclement weather, CAVE students will help with two projects - one in Elgin helping to prepare the exterior of a home in the Elgin Historic District to be repainted and move-in ready by the end of June, and one in Carpentersville tearing down a house to help prepare for a new home to be built for a second deserving family.
For the past 23 years, more than 194,000 students have spent their school breaks volunteering across the country through this Habitat for Humanity program. Habitat's Collegiate Challenge is one of the many programs Habitat has to engage youth age 5 to 25 in Habitat's work.
Habitat for Humanity of Northern Fox Valley is one of eight Habitat affiliates in the Chicago area. Founded in 1990, Northern Fox Valley is currently focuses its efforts on transforming existing foreclosed and abandoned houses that are devaluing our neighborhoods into safe, decent, and affordable homes for partner families in the northwestern suburbs of Chicago. Northern Fox Valley also helps approximately 30 homeowners annually through the "A Brush With Kindness" exterior home repair program. Now entering its milestone 25th year, Northern Fox Valley has completed 92 new construction and rehabilitation projects in Carpentersville, Elgin, St. Charles, and the surrounding area.
To learn more, visit www.habitatnfv.org, find them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Habitat.NorthernFoxValley, or follow them on Twitter at www.twitter.com/habitatnfv.
Habitat for Humanity International's vision is a world where everyone has a decent place to live. Anchored by the conviction that safe and affordable housing provides a path out of poverty, since 1976 Habitat has helped more than 5 million people through home construction, rehabilitation and repairs and by increasing access to improved shelter through products and services. Habitat also advocates to improve access to decent and affordable shelter and offers a variety of housing support services that enable families with limited means to make needed improvements on their homes as their time and resources allow. As a nonprofit Christian housing organization, Habitat works in more than 70 countries and welcomes people of all races, religions and nationalities to partner in its mission. To learn more, donate or volunteer, visit www.habitat.org, follow us at www.facebook.com/habitat or at www.twitter.com/habitat_org, or join Habitat's blog community at www.habitat.org/blog.