Katie Schultzenberg-
Over spring break, a few charitable University of Wisconsin–Stout organizations dedicated their time and hard work to working on houses for the less fortunate and other volunteer activities, as three different groups traveled to Alabama, Kentucky and Colorado. The three different groups were Habitat for Humanity, Stout Catholic and Students Today Leaders Forever.
The Habitat for Humanity group worked mainly on one house in Alabama, although the group worked together so successfully and efficiently that they were able to see the house progress further than most Habitat for Humanity groups. “Most Habitat volunteers do not get to be a part of the initial stages of building, so the fact that we got to start from scratch on this house was very amazing to be a part of. We were able to see our progress each day, which was also very motivating,” said Shantel Quist, one of the trip coordinators for Habitat For Humanity. “Even though the weather was not what we expected, everyone was extremely positive! The energy was running through us throughout the entire week!” she added.
The group was able to go far on the house by using the skills they learned in their majors. Quist commented on how fortunate they were to have the helping hands. “We were so lucky to have the group that had so many varied skills. With our variety of majors, it made for quite the fun trip! We had quite a few interior design and construction majors, which was very helpful. It’s amazing how much you can accomplish in one week when you work together. A lot of the students that came on the trip had not ever participated in anything like Habitat before, and by the end of the week, most of the group was up on the roof attaching sheathing! It was so great to see people branching out and trying something they’ve never done before.”
When asked about what she would say to someone thinking about going on the trip, Quist enthusiastically encouraged all who were thinking about it to try it for the friends and relationships you will gain and the rewarding volunteering experience.
Megan Klatt tells a similarly exciting experience with the Stout Catholic group that went to Kentucky. Instead of building new houses, they fixed old ones for people and even got the chance to talk to the owners and learn their stories. “The people you are helping are so kind, generous and appreciative of what you are doing for them that you will leave feeling like you truly made a difference because you did,” Klatt added.