Students and staff from Elon University gathered May 1 in Graham, N.C., for the dedication of the 20th Habitat for Humanity home built by Elon volunteers since the international nonprofit program first established a chapter at the university in 1989.
“It is a very exciting day for Elon’s campus chapter and the Alamance County affiliate of Habitat for Humanity, as well as the new homeowners,” said Elon University associate chaplain Phil Smith. “We are thankful for the good work of the many student volunteers who have invested in this organization over the years and of Chaplain Emeritus Richard McBride, who led and inspired them as their advisor during the construction of the first 18 homes.”
McBride, who retired from Elon in 2009, was also on hand to celebrate the milestone at 728 Ben Court, where new homeowner Lonetta Love and her family will now live. Love said she looks forward to calling this new house “home.”
“The best part about Habitat is that your work directly allows you to make an immediate impact and positive change in someone’s life forever,” said Elon freshman Morgan D’Arcy, president of Elon’s Habitat campus chapter.
Volunteers from Elon University started building their first Habitat for Humanity home on 5th Street in Burlington in 1989 and dedicated it on Feb. 4, 1990.
Since then, teams have built homes throughout Alamance County and have made service trips around the nation to help promote the ecumenical Christian nonprofit’s mission “to develop communities with people in need by building and renovating houses so that there are decent houses in decent communities in which every person can experience God’s love and can live and grow into all that God intends.”