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Affordable Housing: Laredo, TX

Monday, Feb. 28, 2005

Habitat Crew Chief Nicasio Valero helps Jason Latz, Megan Gibson and Kyle Pietila hang sheet rock on the ceiling.
The Rio Bravo Habitat For Humanity construction site looks like any new middle class subdivision with similar-looking houses lining a street. These homes all in a row are dreams come true for 10 families who, without the help of Habitat, can not afford decent shelter.

Israel and Patricia Dominguez, owners of one of the homes, now pay high rent to share with their two children a one-room apartment with a sofa bed they use for sleeping, studying and reading. By May, after the house is finished and the family has poured the required sweat into helping build their residence, parents and children get their own bedrooms.

Alma Students got down to business early Monday morning insulating and hanging sheet rock on the walls of the homes of Lourdes "Lou Lou" Uvalle and the Dominguez families, numbers seven and nine in the row of 10 houses. By lunch time, two crews had impressed Carol Sherwood, the head of the local Habitat chapter.

"I am pleased, very pleased," she said. "We have far exceeded what I expected for today."

Sherwood was looking forward to more progress and moving to houses eight and ten before the students leave Laredo. Walls on both houses were fully insulated and only the time-consuming closets kept students from finishing dry walling all of the rooms.

After work the crews headed to the local state park for showers. Tomorrow's evening activity is a Laredo Bucks Central Hockey League game courtesy of the Habitat chapter.

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More than 100 Alma College students and staff traveled to destinations in Georgia, Tennessee, Florida and Mississippi for service projects during winter break in February 2008. Alternative Break service experiences continue to gain popularity on Alma College’s campus,” says Sallie Scheide, assistant director in the Center for Responsible Leadership.

 

Student Profile

Melissa Boguslawski

Melissa Boguslawski
Graduation: 2008
Major: Exercise Health Science, Chemistry
From: Madison Heights, Michigan
Interests: Sports, Heritage

Alma students are good stewards of the world around them. Whether cleaning a long-neglected Jewish cemetery in Poland or the Pine River in our backyard, you can be involved in service projects through classroom work or volunteer activities. Your education is personalized to your talents and interests to prepare you for service, leadership and stewardship.