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NEW! Meredith Habitat for Humanity merchandise is now available to purchase online.
Meredith Celebrates Completion of First Habitat Home
Meredith College celebrated the completion of the College’s first fully-funded, volunteer-built Habitat for Humanity home on Saturday, April 18, 2009.
Students, faculty, staff, alumnae, trustees and administrators all worked together with project partner Choate Construction and Habitat for Humanity to make the project possible. Representatives of each of these groups spoke during the dedication ceremony, which was held on the home’s front lawn on a bright, sunny spring morning.
Meredith President Maureen Hartford noted that the home’s location in Southeast Raleigh was near Meredith College’s original location.
“In many ways, we are in old Meredith’s backyard, and we recognize this neighborhood as where we started as well,” Hartford told new homeowners Oslet Rene and Mimose Baptiste.
Rene gave thanks for all the volunteers with whom he worked to build the home. “I thank God for Meredith College’s building this house for us,” Rene said. “I thank God for all the hard work they did for this house.”
Rene talked about the dedication of volunteers whom he worked alongside even on rainy days.
“Everyone takes their time to come here, leaving their homes to come help,” Rene said. “If they are getting wet in the rain, I [needed] to get wet myself.”
Students, faculty and staff have volunteered with Habitat for Humanity for more than 20 years, but the new home is the first to be fully-funded and built by the Meredith community. On-site construction began in September 2008 with teams of students, trustees, alumnae, faculty and staff working together with the future homeowners.
Hayley McPhail, ’08, founder of Meredith’s Habitat Club, and current club president Chelsea McGlaughlin, ’10, shared the history of the project.
“It is hard to believe that it was five years ago that this began,” said McPhail, who started Meredith’s Habitat club and inspired the Habitat home project after volunteering with another school. The home dedication was held on McPhail’s birthday.
Habitat for Humanity Silver Hammer awards were presented to Meredith College and Choate Construction in recognition of their support of this project.
Meredith’s First Habitat Home Dedication April 18
Meredith College, along with the new homeowners and project partner Choate Construction, will celebrate the completion of the College’s first fully-funded, volunteer-built Habitat Home. The Habitat Home dedication ceremony will be held on Saturday, April 18, 2009, at 10 a.m.
The home is located at 215 Seawell Avenue in Downtown Raleigh.
Meredith College students, faculty and staff have volunteered with Habitat for Humanity for more than 20 years, but the recently completed home is the first to be fully-funded and built by the Meredith community.
On-site construction began in September 2008 with teams of students, trustees, alumnae, faculty and staff working together with the future homeowners.
“Seeing the entire Meredith community come together to build the Habitat house has been really incredible,” says Meredith Habitat for Humanity Chapter President Chelsea McGlaughlin, ’10. “It’s been a tremendous learning experience for everyone involved. We can’t wait to do it again.”
The Meredith House was spear-headed by Meredith graduate, Hayley McPhail, ’08, who founded the Meredith College campus chapter of Habitat for Humanity.
“I hope that the wonderful partnership that Meredith and Wake County Habitat have built will continue to grow strong and Meredith's involvement will continue over the years,” said McPhail.
The campus-wide effort has been supported by College administrators, including Meredith President Maureen A. Hartford:
“It is truly special for Meredith to sponsor a Habitat house, joining in a world-wide effort to provide safe, decent housing,” Meredith President Hartford said. “We at Meredith are proud to be a part of this mission.”
Meredith College Habitat for Humanity Project Nears Completion
For more than 20 years, Meredith College students, faculty and staff have been volunteering with Habitat for Humanity. This spring, the first Habitat home to be fully funded by the Meredith community is nearly complete. The current projected date for completion is March 21, 2009.
A kick-off celebration at which attendees were able to sign two by four pieces of lumber for use in the home preceded the beginning of construction in September 2008. Since then, numerous volunteers have supported the effort.
“Seeing the entire Meredith community come together to build the Habitat house has been really incredible,” says Meredith Habitat for Humanity Chapter President Chelsea McGlaughlin, ’10. “It’s been a tremendous learning experience for everyone involved. We can’t wait to do it again.”
Her enthusiasm about the experience is shared by Collette Kinane, ’10, who said, “I love volunteering with Habitat. The supervisors are incredibly helpful and friendly and really willing to teach others the workings of building a house. It means a lot to work on a Habitat house, especially when you get to work with its future inhabitants. You really get to learn a lot about yourself and also about those who are working with you.”
For McGlaughlin, this experience has fulfilled a childhood desire. “Growing up, I remember watching Reba McEntire’s Habitat for Humanity commercials and wanting to get involved with the organization. As a freshman at Meredith, I was thrilled to find that we had a Habitat club. I fell in love with Habitat the first workday I attended.”
McGlaughlin became president of the chapter in the spring of 2008 and has since been involved with coordinating fundraisers, planning the groundbreaking celebration, designing and selling merchandise, brainstorming and carrying out publicity and many other tasks which help to keep the organization going.
Kinane enjoyed the experience of volunteering with the organization while in high school and couldn’t resist volunteering again. “I really just loved the entire Habitat experience, even when working on those two absolutely freezing Saturdays,” she said. “I like the people I’ve met, and those that I’ve gotten to know better. I think one of the many things I’ve taken away from this experience is the satisfaction of knowing that I helped build a house. I also took away experiential knowledge about building components and structures that will definitely be useful in my future career in historic preservation.”
Meredith’s Habitat Chapter began in the fall of 2006 when Hayley McPhail, ’08, began recruiting members, gaining SGA approval and raising money for a Meredith College Habitat for Humanity house.
Kickoff Celebration Held for Merediths Habitat Effort
posted: August 25, 2008
Meredith College’s student-led quest to fully fund a Habitat for Humanity home came one step closer to reality on Friday, Aug. 22.
Members from across Meredith's campus, community partners and Habitat for Humanity volunteers and staff joined together in Meredith’s Science and Mathematics Building to celebrate the beginning of construction for Meredith’s first Habitat for Humanity home.
Speakers included Meredith Habitat Chapter President Chelsea McGlaughlin, ’09, faculty advisor Barbara True-Weber and chapter founder Hayley McPhail, ’08, who began the effort in 2006.
McGlaughlin thanked Trustee Michelle Rich Goode, ’73, who led the fundraising effort, and donors including project partner Choate Construction.
“It is amazing how far we’ve come in such a short time,” McGlaughlin said. “A year ago we would not have believed we would be able to attain the funding support that has made this possible so soon.”
Now with enough money raised to begin building, McGlaughlin said, “It’s hammer time.”
Attendees signed 2x4 pieces of lumber that will be used in the home and were able to drive nails to start framing up the home, which will be built in Raleigh.
Meredith President Maureen A. Hartford said the support for the Habitat project reflects the College’s commitment to community service and positive citizenship.
“It is truly special for [Meredith] to sponsor a Habitat house … joining in a world-wide effort to provide safe, decent housing,” Hartford said. “We at Meredith are proud to be a part of this mission.”
A highlight of the event was an opportunity for the Meredith community to meet the future owners of the College’s Habitat home. Oslet Rene said he and his wife, Mimose Baptiste, are very excited to be a Habitat family. Baptiste helped to unveil the house plan for the home.
Rene said their happiness came not just from being able to become homeowners, but also the opportunity “to meet nice people who help you be what you are meant to be in this life.”
Kickoff Celebration for Habitat for Humanity Home
While Meredith College community members have volunteered with Habitat for Humanity for more than 20 years, a recent student-led effort will result in the first Habitat home to be fully funded by Meredith.
The College will mark this success with a celebration on Friday, Aug. 22 from 3:30 p.m.-5:30 p.m. in the Science and Mathematics Building Atrium on the Meredith campus. Attendees at the event will be able to sign a 2 x 4 piece of lumber that will later be used in the construction of Meredith’s first Habitat for Humanity home.
Meredith’s campus chapter of Habitat for Humanity was founded in 2006 by Hayley McPhail, Meredith Class of 2008. McPhail inspired the College’s effort to build its own Habitat home. After her graduation, current Meredith students continued the effort, and will coordinate Meredith volunteers who will build the home.
McPhail will speak at the kickoff celebration, along with Meredith President Maureen A. Hartford, Meredith Habitat Chapter President Chelsea McGlaughlin, and Meredith Habitat Chapter advisor Barbara True-Weber.
