UA, Habitat join forces to build up W. Phila. homes

It was a dirty job, but somebody had to do it. On Saturday, the Undergraduate Assembly helped sponsor a Habitat for Humanity work day, joining a group of Penn and high school students to clean and repair four houses in a West Philadelphia neighborhood. Seven UA members joined the volunteers -- composed of members of Civic House and Penn's chapter of Habitat, area residents and students from a local suburban high school -- in rehabilitating the houses on the 4900 block of West Stiles Street. A total of about 30 people pitched in to build fences, clear out abandoned lots and yards, build staircases and cement a basement floor. The idea for the UA to be involved in the activity came from College junior Megan Davidson, a member of the Civic House steering committee who works with the UA on West Philadelphia issues. Davidson approached the student government body about sponsoring the work day as a means of "trying to build a partnership" between the UA and Civic House and to foster awareness of community needs among UA members. "It was a chance for us to bond as a team," Davidson said. Nursing junior Sarah Nail, a member of the executive board of Penn's Habitat chapter, said that interest in the organization is "starting to pick up" and applauded the efforts of the UA volunteers. "It was neat having a different group of people come out," Nail said. The volunteers split into groups at the beginning of the six-hour day and each group began working on a different indoor or outdoor project. Most of the UA volunteers worked on mixing and laying cement in the basement of the current Habitat headquarters -- a Stiles Street house that will be sold when the block has been completed. "It was very tiring," said UA member Rohan Ramakrishna, a College freshman. "I've never been this sore. But that made it all the more gratifying." Most volunteers agreed with Ramakrishna, saying that despite the obvious physical strains, the day was not only fun but also productive. "I had a great time," said UA member Theo LeCompte, an Engineering sophomore. "I really felt like I was doing something to help." Other UA and Civic House members joined the community and high school volunteers in clearing out an abandoned lot and several backyards and building a fence behind one of the previously rehabilitated houses. UA member Dana Becker, a Wharton freshman, helped remove trash and weeds from two backyards, finding both a door and a refrigerator buried in the rubbish. Her group managed to clear out both yards by the end of the day. "It's nice to see that there is a tangible difference," Becker said. "[Habitat is] something I'm going to continue to do." West Stiles Street is the home of the West Philadelphia chapter of Habitat for Humanity, a community service organization founded in 1976 to eliminate sub-standard housing and provide affordable housing for families in need. Since then, the West Philadelphia Habitat has renovated 22 abandoned homes and sold them to needy families. The mortgage payments are then recycled back into a fund used for construction on future houses. The Penn chapter of Habitat -- established in 1995 -- currently works two Saturdays a month, usually bringing its own volunteers, but sometimes working with larger groups like Greek organizations.

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