HabiFest 2004: Students Call for Affordable Housing

Mar 05, 2004 07:26 AM EST

Habitat for Humanity International, one of the largest nonprofit, nondenominational Christian housing organizations, will be launching Habifest 2004 on March 31, which is a nationwide, student initiated day of advocating for affordable housing for those who lack adequate shelter.

What is special about the annual Habifest is that the event was organized in 2002 strictly out of students’ concern on poverty, hoping to bring good results by raising awareness about the issues surrounding substandard housing and influencing public policy so that people may be provided with affordable housing. .

Hundreds of high schools and famous universities across the nation will participate in the event. HabiFest is also happening internationally outside of the U.S.

Habitat for Humanity considers the day of advocacy as an opportunity for the students to present volunteerism meeting activism, to inspire another to take up the cause or declare its worthiness, to give a voice to the voiceless by using their own voice, and to educate.

Habitat for Humanity suggests four different ways to hold the event:

1. Walk-to-Rally: Walk from your campus to your City or Town Hall and hold a peaceful rally calling for affordable housing.

2. Online Letter Writing Campaign: Send e-mails regarding specific housing-related legislation that will then be faxed to your state representatives.

3. Flood the Phone Lines: Using the provided prompt, call your state representative’s office and ask him or her to support specific legislation that will help end poverty housing.

4. Noontime Prayer Hour: Join chapters across the nation at noon in an interfaith prayer to end poverty housing. A student-written prayer will be provided for your use.

Local schools that are participating in the event will also hold various activities such as Community Scavenger Hunt, which is finding the local food banks, shelters and social service offices; Large Visual, which is displaying poster or banner that addresses the housing needs; Writing Campaigns, where students ask federal, state and local representatives to support legislation that promote affordable housing, and so on.

Since 1976, Habitat has built more than 50,000 houses with families throughout the United States and another 100,000-plus houses in communities around the world. Now at work in 92 countries, they are building a house every 26 minutes. By 2005, Habitat houses will be sheltering 1 million people.

****Complete List of HabiFest 2004 Participating Schools

*International

Three Oaks Senior High

Canadian Academy International School

*Alabama

Auburn University

Briarwood Christian High School

Judson College

Randolph School

Spring Hill College

University of Montevallo

University of North Alabama

*Arkansas

University of Arkansas

Hendrix College

John Brown University

*Arizona

Arizona State University

*California

Maranatha High School

Pepperdine University

Tustin High School

UCLA

University of California- Berkeley

University of California- Irvine

University of California, Riverside

Flintridge Preparatory School

*Colorado

Colorado State University

*Connecticut

Central Connecticut State University

Eastern Connecticut State University

Quinnipiac University

Southern Connecticut State University

The Hotchkiss School

Trinity College

University of Hartford

*District of Columbia

Georgetown University

The Catholic University of America

*Florida

Barry University

Bartram Trail High School

Flagler Palm Coast High School

Florida Southern College

Florida State University

Lake Region High School

Rollins College

*Georgia

Andrew College

Berry College

Georgia Southern University

Georgia Southwestern State University

LaGrange College

Marist School

Mercer University

North Springs high School

Northview High School

Shorter College

Tucker High School

University of Georgia

Valdosta State University

Wesleyan College

Westminister

*Iowa

Coe College

Sioux Center High School

University of Northern Iowa

Wartburg College

*Illinois

Bradley University

Northern Illinois University

Spoon River College

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

*Indiana

Indiana University

Purdue University

Saint Joseph's College

Terre Haute South Vigo High School

Tri-State University

University of Southern Indiana

Valparaiso University

*Kansas

Sterling College

*Kentucky

University of Kentucky

Western Kentucky University

*Louisiana

Lousiana State University

*Massachusetts

Amherst College

Boston University

Five College

Hampshire College

Mount Holyoke College

*Maryland

Easton High School

Johns Hopkins University

Mount Saint Mary's College

Towson University

*Michigan

Bowdoin College

St. Joseph's College

Hope College

Michigan State University

University of Michigan

*Minnesota

Bemidji State University

Gustavus Adolphus College

Minnesota State University- Mankato

St. Cloud State University

St. Mary's University

University of Minnesota- Twin Cities

Winona State University

*Missouri

Evangel University

Truman State University

University of Missouri- Columbia

Westminister College

*Mississippi

Millsaps College

University of Mississippi

University of Southern Mississippi

*North Carolina

Elon University

High Point University

North Carolina State University

UNC- Chapel Hill

University of North Carolina- Asheville

*Nebraska

Wayne State College

*New Hampshire

Keene State College

Rivier College

*New York

Iona College

New York University

State University of New York- Geneseo

SUNY Cortland

Syracuse University

Yorktown High School

*Ohio

University of Findlay

Definance College

John Carroll University

Otterbein College

University of Dayton

University of Toledo

Wittenberg University

Wright State University

*Oklahoma

Oklahoma City University

University of Tulsa

*Pennsylvania

Allegheny College

Eastern University

Juniata College

Lycoming College

Milton Hershey School

Oakland Catholic High School

Pennsylvania State University

St. Vincent College

Temple University

University of Pittsburgh

University of Scranton

*South Carolina

Clemson University

College of Charleston

Black Hills State University

*South Dakota

Augustana College

University of South Dakota

*Tennessee

Rhodes College

Tennessee Technological University

*Texas

Austin College

Baylor University

Rice University

Sam Houston State University

Texas Lutheran University

University of North Texas

University of Texas- Austin

*Virginia

Mary Washington College

Ferrum College

Virginia Tech

*Washington

Bellarmine Prepatory School

Hoquiam High School

University of Washington

*Washington

Beloit College

Carthage College

Lakeland College

St. Norbert College

University of Wisconsin- Madison

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

University of Wisconsin- River Falls

*West Virginia

West Virginia University