Habitat for Humanity
Gustavus Habitat for Humanity works with local affiliates and chapters from around the country to build affordable housing for families in need. The Gustavus chapter provides the opportunity for alternative breaks (fall and spring), Act! Speak! Build! Week, and various local service opportunities throughout the year.
Mission
Habitat for Humanity strives to meet the needs of affordable housing through building, fund raising, advocacy, education and organizing consistent with our values of community, compassion, service, engagement and teamwork.
What does Habitat for Humanity do? Here is a 2-minute video that explains Habitat: Habitat for Humanity You Tube video
Volunteer at the Habitat Re-Store this Saturday!
Sites for Spring Break 2024 (March 23-30):
Applications are available at the Community Engagement Center, lower level of Campus Center next to Res Life. Site preference is based on the number of the application/first come - so if you want your first choice, pick up your application asap! Applications are due on Friday, November 17 in the Community Engagement Center. Here is more information about the process: Spring_Break_2024_Habitat_information
2023 Spring Break Sites: Taos, NM; Houston TX, Thibodaux, LA; Elizabethtown, KY; Winston-Salem, NC
Click on the pic below for a Video Reveal of 2023 Spring Break Habitat locations!
Recap Video of 2022 Spring Break Trips!
2022 Spring Break sites were: Amarillo, TX; Loveland, CO; Lexington, VA; and Bel Air, MD
2019 Spring Break sites were Mobile, AL; Taos, NM; Vail Valley, CO; and Johns Island, SC.
2018 Spring Break sites were Winston-Salem, NC, Taos, NM and Lafayette, LA. Check out our reveal video! and this local news article from the Winston-Salem trip.
Trip Advisor Information:
Applications for 2024 Trip Advisor for faculty and staff: Trip Advisor Application
Trip Advisor guidelines: Habitat for Humanity Trip Advisor Guidelines
Fall Break Home-Building Trip
Over fall break (October 20-24) a small group of Gusties traveled to Fort Thompson, SD to the Dacotah Tipis Habitat for Humanity site. Application coming soon!
Annual Activities
- We work with local chapters, including St. Peter, Mankato and Nicollet, on their Habitat houses. We typically help build on Saturdays when needed and can take between 5-15 volunteers depending on the job.
- We raise funds throughout the year to support the program and individual costs for participating in alternative spring breaks. Offering valet parking for the Nobel Conference every fall is one example.
- Act, Speak, Build week is in the fall raise awareness about brought speakers and politicians to campus to talk about homelessness and poverty issues, we learn about advocacy issues, and we reveal the Spring Break sites!
- Every spring break, Gustavus sends up to 100 students to Habitat for Humanity affiliate sites to participate in the Collegiate Challenge, an alternative break program. Students travel across the country to spend a week constructing houses and rebuilding communities. The Collegiate Challenge is one of Gustavus Habitat for Humanity's biggest successes each year by getting volunteers to spend their time in a meaningful and rewarding way while raising awareness on housing issues across the nation. Gusties have been doing Spring Break trips since 1990!
| Name | Role | Gustavus Email Address |
|---|---|---|
| Sophie Norman | Co-president | sophienorman@gustavus.edu |
| Chelsy Johnson | Co-president | chelsyj@gustavus.edu |
| Hannah Brenke | Volunteer, Outreach and Education Coordinator/Act!Speak!Build! Week Chair | hbrenke@gustavus.edu |
| Mia Eisenbacher | Public Relations | miaeisenbacher@gustavus.edu |
| Maria Sylvester | Fall/Spring Break Work Trip Coordinator | marias@gustavus.edu |
| Ava White | Fall/Spring Break Work Trip Coordinator | avawhite@gustavus.edu |