Only one spot remains in Habitat for Humanity’s Old Mill Village in Georgetown, and Southwestern students are raising funds to build a house on it.

Students in the SU Chapter of Habitat for Humanity have committed to raising $55,000 to build a house for a single mother and her daughter. They hope to complete the fundraising by the end of the spring 2011 semester and begin construction the week before classes begin in fall 2011. The house should take about 12 weeks to build.

Habitat for Humanity is a nonprofit, ecumenical Christian housing ministry that organizes the building of affordable housing for low-income families worldwide.

Students in the Southwestern Chapter are motivated and excited about the opportunity of taking on such a challenge for the betterment of the Georgetown community. “It makes Georgetown feel more like a home,” said chapter president Austin Painchaud.

Students began their campaign by hosting a Habitat Awareness Week in late January. After that they shifted their focus to fundraising. They are hosting benefit nights at local restaurants where students and community members have the opportunity to donate a percentage of their purchase to the Southwestern Habitat project. They also have invited faculty and staff to donate and will explain the project to parents during Family Days March 4-6.

The fundraising campaign will end with a “Shack-a-thon” April 15-16 at the Wolf Ranch Town Center. This fundraiser encourages organizations to sponsor houses built of cardboard and duct tape and will be open to the Georgetown community.

“It’s not just about the student body. It’s the faculty, staff, alumni and parents. We are trying to get everyone involved,” Painchaud said.

Donations may be sent to 1001 E. University Ave., PO Box 6856, Georgetown, TX 78626. Checks should be made payable to Southwestern University, with a note that they are for the SU Habitat House.

“We do not want to say this is the Southwestern Habitat for Humanity Chapter’s house, we want to be able to say it is a Southwestern house,” Painchaud said.

This will be the second Habitat House that Southwestern students have raised the money to fund. The first one was built in 2006. The Old Mill Village is located near the intersection of Leander and 17th streets on property that used to be an old cottonseed oil mill. The new Southwestern house will be the 20th house on the property.

−        Rosalie Bonner