UA’s Culverhouse Students Build Habitat for Humanity Home

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Marketing students from The University of Alabama’s Culverhouse College of Commerce recently raised funds and helped build a Habitat for Humanity home in Tuscaloosa for the second year in a row.

The nine graduate students and faculty adviser Billy Hatmaker helped build and raise donations for the home for Tuscaloosa’s Audrey Harris as a class project, known as “Raise the Roof for Audrey.”

Team members Jay Arnold, of Rainsville; Mark Bertella, of Birmingham; Claudia Calhoun, of Rogersville; Cade Foster, of Southlake, Texas; Kelsey Janssen, of Huntsville; Chad Lindsey, of The Woodlands, Texas; Wilson Love, of Mountain Brook;  Caitlyn Ryan, of Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; and Austin Shepard, of Buford, Ga.; joined  Hatmaker and Dr. J. Michael Hardin, dean of the Culverhouse College of Commerce, at the home’s dedication earlier this month.

All nine students expect to graduate in May with Master of Science degrees in marketing.

“Working on the Habitat project has put the whole academic realm into perspective, and I have learned that it’s more than getting an education, it’s about helping people,” said Arnold. “I will definitely take what I have learned on this project into my career, and I will share and inspire others to help our communities.”

When referring to the project, Hardin said one of his favorite quotes is by Winston Churchill, “We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give.”

“What these business students are doing today with Habitat for Humanity is making a life by giving their time and service to their fellow person,” Hardin said. “So, we are not just educating students, we are shaping their lives to become better people for their communities. We are building a foundation of excellence that encompasses family, tradition and service to our communities.”

The home, located on the west side of Tuscaloosa, was built for Harris, who had been living in a house built in 1894 that was in need of too many repairs to mention. When the Culverhouse students first talked with Harris, they said they knew this was the project they wanted to pursue.

They helped secure a grant from Habitat for Humanity for building materials, recruited volunteers to help build the home and raised funds to help reduce the mortgage payments. Harris did not initially qualify for a Habitat home because the mortgage payments were too high.

“Typically a Habitat home carries about an $80,000 mortgage,” Hatmaker said. “The students were not going to give up on building Harris a home, so they decided to raise money to help cover a portion of her mortgage so she could afford the monthly payments.”

Habitat for Humanity receives the funds to build the house, then they mortgage the house to the homeowner with zero percent interest rate for 30 years.

Hatmaker said the students held fundraisers to collect funds. They sold more than 500 shakers at the last Alabama home football home. They also received donations from friends, family and the community. They raised $25,000 and continue their efforts to raise another $25,000. Partly because of their efforts, Harris was able to move into the home.

The students started the project in December 2013 when they secured the grant for building materials, and the home was dedicated Feb. 5.

This is the second Habitat for Humanity home that Culverhouse students have helped make possible. The first was built earlier in 2013 and was in the same Tuscaloosa neighborhood. Hardin plans to create a student-led program to continue the Habitat for Humanity partnership.

“The students continue to raise funds for the project,” Hardin said. “We are putting together a program that will allow Culverhouse students to continue to build Habitat for Humanity homes as part of marketing projects. It’s just a win-win project for all involved. The students are putting their marketing skills to use while learning the value of humanity.”

Culverhouse plans to develop a website for future Habitat projects, but, for now, those wishing to donate may go to the website http://raisetheroofforaudrey.wordpress.com. Any additional funds raised above those for the Harris campaign will go into the Culverhouse fund for future houses.