University of Denver students travelled to Gulfport, Mississippi from December 8-15, 2013 to work with Habitat for Humanity rebuilding homes destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. A group of 15 students from different fraternities and sororities worked on three construction sites over the week, learning construction skills while helping the local community. Each day, the students arrived early at the worksites to work for eight hours, gaining construction experience and forming friendships with both the Habitat staff and each other.

1. University students in new Habitat
By Stephanie Caruso

2. University of Denver students
travelled to Gulfport, Miss. from
Dec. 8-15, 2013.
Working with Habitat for Humanity
of the Mississippi Gulf Coast, the
group of 15 worked on a total of
three worksites during the week.
The students worked with the local
community to rebuild homes that
had been destroyed in the wake of
2007’s Hurricane Katrina.
All the students are affiliated with
different fraternities and sororities
on campus. Each year, a new
group comes together to go on the
same trip and help the same towns
along Mississippi’s Gulf Coast.

3. Waking to see the sunrise over the Gulf, students arrived early at their worksites
every morning. During the short December days, they also saw the sunset after
eight hours of work.

4. From breaking ground for the driveway, to painting detail work, there was
plenty to be done for eight hours every day. Of course, there was never a
dull moment, thanks to Habitat leaders who inspired through jokes and
tales of past volunteers.

5. Students got
schooled in
construction 101,
learning tools from
the speed square
(pictured right) to
drills and table saws.

6. Other site
tasks
included
assembling
scaffolding to
paint the
second story
and the
wraparound
porch.

7. Learning quickly and on the fly, it wasn’t long before students took projects
into their own hands and completed them faster than expected.

8. The worksite, mid-week.

9. With so
many power
tools in use,
hard hats
and safety
rules were a
must.

10. In no time, the Habitat staff and DU
students became friends and shared a
lof of laughs throughout the week.

11. Worksite bonding between different
Greek house members happened
quickly, too.

12. Students experiencing Southern cuisine and
culture at Liz’s Where Y’At Diner for breakfast.

13. After all the efforts put in by the DU students, only touch ups and fine details
remained.