By ABBY BRAVO
Editor-in-Chief
Students from the College of Saint Rose completed their final spring break service trip with the Office of Spiritual Life. Building on years of trips across the country and abroad, the team of students and faculty stayed at home for their final hurrah.
In past years, a group of students would go on a trip to Washington D.C. or, on rare occasions, the West Coast and even Guatemala, to help those in need. This year Joan Horgan, director of spiritual life, decided that the best way to help “thy dear neighbor” was to stay and help the community the College is based in. While Horgan is always working on smaller projects to help the local Albany community, the spring break trips have predominantly been out of state.
“It felt like a really nice way to end our time at Saint Rose and to not let us go forth without spending this time doing one more trip, one more chance to work together,” said Horgan.
Faced with less than ideal weather conditions consisting of rain and lots of mud, a small group of students took time out of their spring break to build houses for first-time home buyers with Habitat for Humanity Capital District.
They spent hours in the basements of three buildings cutting and installing insulation as well as hauling paint cans, cleaning up drywall and bringing in flooring.
“I think the funniest part is how muddy everything is… I was probably up to my ankles in mud yesterday with all the rain,” said senior Suzanne Ibrahim, who participated in the service trip to Washington D.C. last spring.
For some students, this was their first time volunteering with Saint Rose and it was impactful for many of them. “It’s been a great experience just meeting new people and helping other people and the community,” said freshman Nala Evans.
Sophomore Johnathnn Guaman became interested in the spring break service trips after hearing about the Washington D.C. trips. While this is more of an unconventional year, he said, “it’s been a great experience… it’s really something I’m going to remember when moving on to my next steps.”
Business professor John Dion has gone on four service trips to D.C. as well as three abroad to Guatemala and was on the Habitat site helping students and participating himself. “For me it’s part of my process of saying goodbye to the College of Saint Rose because service has been such an important part of my experience,” said Dion.
Over 100 families applied for these homes with only 6 available to be granted. “I met a lot of the homebuyers on Saturday,” said Ibrahim, “one told me she is a single grandmother and recently got custody of her grandkids and is hoping to give them their own rooms… just to give them stability.”
Guaman similarly mentioned, “we know there will be kids living in these houses, and kids need a place where they can feel safe and a place that they can call home.”
The need for affordable housing is growing in the Capital Region and Habitat for Humanity launched a plan to build 100 new homes in a five-year period, which these six are a part of.
Mike Becker, a Habitat for Humanity employee, has been working with the organization for four years. “There’s nothing like building an affordable home for people who can’t afford it at a normal mortgage or at a normal bank rate, this gives people a chance to have their own home,” said Becker.
Becker works with many different volunteer groups through Habitat for Humanity that filter in and out. “They have been one heck of a group,” said Becker about the Saint Rose volunteers, “their insulation job is phenomenal and we hope to have them back.”
The students participated in three days of service overall and were able to learn about not only insulation but the importance of affordable housing in Albany and beyond.
As the final service trip concludes Horgan was continuously reminded that she was able to be a part of something great over her time at the college. “We got to be with great humans for all these years… we are all going to continue to do great things, these are stepping stones for us, this is a launch pad,” said Horgan.
The homes students worked on will be completed and scheduled to close by May 15 and buyers will be able to move in shortly after.
