Liberty Habitat for Humanity chapter hosts gala after raising $60,000 for building a house
Habitat for Humanity club members and guests enjoyed a gala last Friday celebrating hard work that culminated in the dedication of a house.
Liberty’s Habitat for Humanity club works with the greater Lynchburg Habitat for Humanity, focusing on raising funds and awareness as well as building a home. Each Habitat home requires $60,000 in funding, which the club works to raise.
According to Madison Sumner, president of Liberty’s Habitat for Humanity Club, the central goal of the gala was not to fundraise but to celebrate.
“(Raising) $60,000 as college students is a whole lot of money,” Sumner said. “The fact that we raised that much money and we actually got to build a house – it does not hit you when you are fundraising, but then you start building on a house, and it’s like wait a minute, this is real – walls, rooms, everything. You get to learn so much through the process, so we can also celebrate that, and the relationships that have been built through it.”
FINE DINING— Sparky helped with serving the food throughout the night.
Magician and Liberty senior Dryden Glod performed at the event, while attendees enjoyed a meal and desserts. The gala took place from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the Montview Alumni Ballroom.
Habitat for Humanity seeks to promote Christian principles through providing permanent shelter and long-standing support for low income families, while working to subsequently instill important skills and values in the future homeowners, according to their website.
Although the main objective of the organization is to provide housing for those in need, Sumner, explained that Habitat homeowners must work for the house they will eventually call their own.
“They do not just hand (housing) out,” Sumner said. “(The homeowners) have to go through a process where they take classes and they have to be selected (for the program). There are around a hundred people per year that apply and only four or five get it (in Lynchburg).”
Applicants who are selected for housing go through financial aid training in order to establish responsible financial patterns, in addition to physically assisting in building the home. When complete, the family will move into the home and pay an affordable mortgage without interest, now equipped with new knowledge and skill sets.
Habitat homeowners put in a total of 300 “sweat equity” hours, spending at least 150 hours working on their house, and 150 hours working on another Habitat home. Club members also assist in building these homes, engaging with the Lynchburg community while learning valuable life skills.
Students interested in more information about the Habitat for Humanity Club can contact club president Maddie Sumner at mjsumner@liberty.edu or club advisor Amy Pettitt at adpettitt@liberty.edu.
Hamer is a news reporter. Follow her on Twitter.