Talk with Sarah Gordon

Sarah Gordon is a sociology major from Hallowell, Maine. She is president of the Habitat for Humanity club on campus.

How many students are involved in Habitat?

Right now, the club has 20 active members. With more people involved, the ideas and projects have expanded greatly. I hope I get to watch the club grow once again my senior year.

What projects have you been involved with and what have you learned?

I'm working on my sixth house in the Portland area this spring. This year we built a playhouse as a complete surprise for a little boy. He will be moving into his Habitat for Humanity home this summer in Freeport.

I've also worked with Habitat during Spring Break Workfest, serving in New Rochelle and Yonkers, N.Y., for two years. Our group volunteered at the Covenant House in Manhattan, which helps out homeless and troubled youth. I worked mostly with 18-21 year olds. This year, we helped with basic needs for 30 families who lost their homes due to a fire. We also spent three days building at work sites, represented Habitat in a community parade, and put on a corporate luncheon for donors.

What was your motivation to get involved with Habitat?

Seeing the faces of the volunteers feeling great about their work; seeing the families eager to move into a house they can afford; and meeting the people who work with the organization.

What do you find most rewarding about helping others?

Seeing the final results at the end of a day's build... whether it's shingling a roof or painting the house. You can't help but feel good that you've done something for someone else that day.

*If anyone is interested in joining Habitat for Humanity they can always contact me at sarahgordon@sjcme.edu and find out more about our meeting and events going on.

by Kayla Collins ’11 communications

• This spring, 25 students joined the Habitat for Humanity chapter on campus for the annual Shak-A-Thon, where students spend a night out on the campus green in cardboard houses to demonstrate the dire state of homeless people. They raised more than $500 for the national Habitat program.
• Students pitch in to help alumnus dedicated to affordable housing for
  all.