ECC students spend spring break helping build home
Eleven Elgin Community College students will help Habitat for Humanity of Northern Fox Valley remodel a historic Elgin home this week for an immigrant couple from Uganda.
“I learned about Habitat about two years ago, when I volunteered to work on the house of a friend, who was going to be a Habitat homeowner,” said John Bosco Tumwesigye, who emigrated from Uganda five years ago. “I was very moved by the fact that the homeowner participates in building the house. I felt it gave a special sense of attachment and of knowing and owning your house, but at the time, my wife and children had not yet come to stay with me, so I waited to apply.”
Tumwesigye's now pregnant wife, Emilly Musiimenta, and two children, ages 6 and 8, recently joined him in Rolling Meadows.
The couple are looking forward to remodeling their new home in Elgin with the help of ECC students.
It's the second year ECC has partnered with Habitat for Humanity for the Alternative Spring Break program.
This year, the college had a waiting list of students wanting to volunteer, which might lead to the program expanding next year, said Olivia Vlahos, volunteer and outreach manager for Habitat for Humanity of Northern Fox Valley.
“Next year, we may increase it to two houses,” Vlahos said. “Depending on how much the program grows and the interest grows, we've had discussions with ECC about possibly doing a winter break program. It's great to have a guaranteed group of 11 kids come out for five days a week.”
The home to be remodeled is part of Elgin's historic district.
The interior remodeling is 90 percent complete. ECC students will be working on the exterior of the house, including painting, putting trim on windows, replacing siding, rebuilding the front porch and repairing the garage roof, Vlahos said.
“Elgin's Historic Commission has some extra criteria,” she said. “It has to look historic from the outside. We think it was about the 1890s time period when the house was originally built.”
The two-story house has three bedrooms and one bathroom. Once remodeled, it will be appraised and the Ugandan couple will get to buy their first home.
The goal is for the family to move in by Memorial Day, Vlahos said.
ECC students earn one college credit for volunteering the entire week.
Elgin twins Jason and Jeremy Bauer, 20-year-old ECC sophomores, volunteered for Habitat during spring break last year helping build a home in Carpentersville.
“I thought that was the best experience,” said Jeremy Bauer, who is working on his associate degree in science. “We're both going to go into construction management. It was really cool how we could use our hands and build something that would benefit (a family) in the future. I didn't think it was going to be that much fun. We made friends. We learned so many different skills.”
Katie Storey, ECC student life coordinator, said more students are interested in volunteering and wanting to be productive during spring break.
“We had close to double the interest from last year,” she said.
“We're getting a variety of students who want to be a part of it. They are looking to give back. They are looking to improve their construction skills. They recognize it's a wonderful and reputable program. The feedback that we are getting is exciting.”