AU volleyball team lends a hand to build Habitat home

The Aurora University women's volleyball team recently spent a Saturday, helping build a Habitat for Humanity home at 1326 Pearl St. in Montgomery.

From 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., 12 student athletes and coach Jamie Walters spackled, installed electrical outlets and switch plates, cut moulding boards and performed other construction tasks under the tutelage of veteran Habitat volunteers.

The coach initiated the partnership with Aurora-based Fox Valley Habitat for Humanity, an affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International.

"Working together for Habitat for Humanity was a great experience," said Andrea Buss, student-athlete from Oswego.

"Helping with the construction of a new home allowed our team to understand the concept behind Habitat, while giving us a good feeling about bonding and volunteering to help others."

Walters added, "We decided to work with Habitat for Humanity so my student-athletes could experience helping the local community and, in addition, learn to work with each other outside of their comfort zones."

Habitat officials plan to dedicate the frame ranch-style home in October.

The future homeowners are Mark Gomez and his wife, Clara, of Aurora. They and some of their four children worked alongside the Habitat volunteers that day.

Since 1989, Fox Valley Habitat has completed 36 units housing nearly 200 low-income families in the Aurora and Montgomery area.

AU student-athlete volunteers were: Molly Walton of Danville; Kaylyn Kenkel of East Dubuque; Kristen Peara of Elgin; Cheri Conro of Hampshire; Christine Ozlanski of Hickory Hills; Sara Stark of Hudson; Amanda Hills of Kempton; Andrea Buss of Oswego; Jill Smart of Round Lake Beach; Beth Shimkus of Shorewood; Kayla Bowen of Spring Valley; and Amy Edwards of South Beloit.