MC takes on Pope Francis Home Challenge

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Nine Mount Carmel seniors and three faculty/staff members participated in Habitat for Humanity’s Pope Francis Home Challenge in the Pullman neighborhood on Thursday, April 14.

On Thursday, April 14, nine Mount Carmel seniors joined three faculty/staff members at the Habitat for Humanity Chicago building project – the Pope Francis Home Challenge.  The project is in line with Catholic social teaching that all people have a right to safe and secure housing, and offers an opportunity for young people to respond to the Pope’s call that we become directly involved in working toward that goal.

Habitat for Humanity, a non-profit, Christian housing ministry, provides safe, secure, and affordable shelter for families in need, regardless of race or religion.

The organization thrives because of volunteers, who embody God’s love in the way they come together to build future homes, communities, and hope. Although my classmates and I attended the local project in Chicago, it is also a global organization. While there are about 1,400 locations in the United States, Habitat for Humanity has expanded to over 70 locations around the world since its founding in 1976.

Our project was located in the Pullman area, a neighborhood on the South Side of Chicago. Along with our adult leaders, Theology teacher Patrick McGarry,  Business Analyst Rick Good, and Associate Enrollment Director Phil Segroves, we arrived at the location from MC around 8 a.m. and, shortly after, began our day with one of the head instructors giving us a run down of the organization and what it stands for.

Our task was to help build a home for a young woman and her family eagerly anticipating to move in. She introduced herself to us and exclaimed how happy and grateful she was for us doing this favor for her. I was shocked and filled with emotion knowing that I was making a positive imprint in her life.

Following our introduction, we immediately divided into groups and began working. Three classmates and I were responsible for putting up the fences, putting siding up the outside of the house, and other yard work while the others were working in the basement. We worked until 2 p.m. and then headed back to school.

As I reflect on this day, I am so glad I made the decision to contribute in this service project. Knowing that I can make such an impact on one’s life just makes me want to continue to do things like this more often.  This was definitely a positive experience for me, and I highly recommend Habitat for Humanity for anyone looking to give back to the community.

On behalf of Mount Carmel, the senior volunteers and staff raised funds for the future Habitat for Humanity projects. The school then matched the seniors’ fundraising efforts with a donation from the MC mission collection. On the day of the project, Mount Carmel contributed a total of $1,890 to the local organization.

The other senior volunteers from Mount Carmel were David Banda, Adrian Hernandez, Matthew McKay, John McKeown, Neil Novosel, Theodore Okafor, Jake Polewaczyk, Matthew Robinson.