Posted
on Feb. 26, 2016 in “Students”
Greek
community teams up with Habitat for Humanity in building play houses
for veterans’ children
Both
sides waited in anticipation, each just as excited as the other.
Craning necks, nervous smiles, shuffling feet.
Finally,
it came time for the unveiling; the cluster of students stepped aside
to reveal brightly colored, freshly painted, newly assembled
playhouses. Across from them, the children standing with their
parents gasped, smiled, and then did what any kid would when
presented with such a treasure: Ran over to explore.
“Everyone
was just smiling,” says Jake Rogers ’16, of Alpha Phi Omega.
The
event, held Saturday, Feb. 13, was a joint effort of several WPI
fraternities, numerous sponsors, and Habitat for Humanity
Metrowest/Greater Worcester. Dozens of WPI students spent the better
portion of the day building and painting playhouse kits that were
then presented and donated to the young children of local veterans.
The parent recipients included Chris and Emily Olivo of Southbridge,
Brendan and Amy Conlin of Chelmsford, and James and Devon Pallotta of
Templeton.
The
effort was part of Habitat for Humanity’s Project Playhouse
initiative, which serves as both a build and a fundraiser benefitting
veterans. As part of the WPI event, which was held in the robotics
pit in the sports and recreation center, playhouses were built for
three local families, and at least $2,250 (or $750 per house) was
raised to help with Habitat’s veteran’s critical home repair
program.
“It’s
a heartfelt and heart-warming event for everyone involved,” says
Seth Jajliardo, community outreach manager for Habitat for Humanity
MetroWest/Greater Worcester, which began the initiative in 2014,
following the lead of Habitat affiliates in California.
Habitat
of MetroWest/Greater Worcester partnered with the national
organization Blue Star Mothers of America, Inc., to help identify
local veterans with children between ages 3 and 10, Jajliardo
explained, and also enlisted students from Worcester Technical High
School, who cut and primed playhouse kits that are then assembled by
volunteers of sponsoring companies or organizations during an all-day
event.
Since
launching the effort two years ago, the local Habitat has raised
around $80,000 to help with repairs, such as roofing, siding
replacement, or installation of wheelchair ramps, at the homes of
local veterans. As Jajliardo explained, the organization has done
five such critical home repairs over the past six months, and has a
target of 10 per year.
Genzyme,
UNUM, and several other local companies have sponsored builds over
the past two years; 25 playhouses were built in 2015, according to
Jajliardo, and the organization is on track to do 40 this year. Each
mini house is custom designed based on the recipient child’s
interests, with themes ranging from Barbie to the Bruins.
Ultimately,
it’s an event that benefits everyone, Jajliardo points out. “It’s
really a great team-building exercise, and we’re serving our
veterans,” he says.
At
WPI’s build, the houses—which are roughly four feet wide by five
feet long—were decorated in Disney motifs, including Sofia the
First, Doc McStuffins, and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.
According
to Rogers, students spent about four weeks organizing the event and
fundraising for it. The playhouses were sponsored by several campus
fraternities, including Alpha Phi Omega, Zeta Psi, Alpha Chi Rho, and
Sigma Alpha Epsilon. During the day of the event, more than 70
students were involved in assembling, shingling, painting, and
decorating them.
“It
was definitely fun the entire time. Everyone was getting their hands
dirty,” says Rogers, a biology and biotechnology major. “As the
day went on, the energy increased, as people saw the houses coming
together. By the end, everyone was ridiculously excited to get to
reveal all their hard work to the families.”
Both
he and Jajliardo agreed that it was a great partnership, and one that
both WPI and Habitat for Humanity would like to establish as a
regular tradition.
“We
all worked really hard to make sure that this event went well for the
families,” says Rogers. “Everyone who participated would love to
get the chance to do it again.”
–
BY
TARYN PLUMB
Original
story link.
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