It’s a new semester, and we have started one of our favorite University Housing traditions. Our staff has the opportunity to partner and assist Habitat for Humanity in Knoxville and give back to the community. Through the Volunteer way, we help a family in need, providing a place to call home.
Our Resident Assistants (RAs) and housing staff woke up early on a Saturday morning in late January to get the process started. It is a truly gratifying experience to be able to work and help in any possible way. It all begins with a concrete slab, and we are able to help from literally the ground up. As the RAs raised the first wall of the future home, you could sense how great it is to be a Volunteer.
It’s humbling to know what you’re doing for another family, as well as see what you are capable of. This is progressing story, and we will highlight the transformation, along with Allison and her family, in the coming months. Stay tuned for this incredible experience for our housing staff and remember that we are Volunteers in more way than one!
“The UT Habitat blitz build was a very exciting day to be a part of! We had over 60 housing staff members volunteer to transform a cement slab into a standing home, with walls, doors, windows, and a roof! Within just 8 hours we were able to see our hard work transformed into the makings of a beautiful home for Allison and her four daughters. Many of us began that morning without knowing how to use a hammer, but by the end of the day we had people up on the roof placing the trusses with confidence. I’m looking forward to the remaining weeks where we will install the interior walls, the exterior siding, paint the home inside and out, and finish by building and installing the cabinets and trim.”
– Amy Keckler, East Area Graduate Assistant
