Bowling Green, Ky. - Western Kentucky University is making plans for a new construction project – its first Habitat for Humanity house.

The “Centennial Birthday Build” house will be the first exclusively built by the WKU Campus Chapter of Habitat for Humanity in honor of WKU’s Centennial. Wall sections are being built this month in the Environmental Sciences and Technology Building with the shell of the house assembled Sept. 30 on the Downing University Center South Lawn.

“The ‘Centennial Birthday Build’ is a monumental task and will require the collective effort of the whole WKU community,” said Greg Mills, co-adviser of the Habitat campus chapter. “We need everyone’s help on this project from swinging a hammer to making a donation.”

The chapter is working to raise $50,000 for the construction of the 1,000 square foot house. Mills, co-adviser Bryan Reaka and chapter members have been meeting with campus and community groups to seek support and donations.

Donors can sponsor various components of the house: $10 for a wall stud; $30 for roof sheathing; $50 for a floor joist; $50 for a roof truss; $50 for floor sheathing; or $50 for one square foot of floor area.

“I have the faith that we can get this done,” Mills said. “I honestly believe we’ve got everything in place to get it done.”

The project is being led by Construction Management seniors Michael Vandiver of Madisonville, Clint Wheat of Scottsville and Joe Mattingly of Evansville, Ind.

After the Sept. 30 event, the walls will be moved to the house site on West Main Street in Bowling Green. The goal is to have the construction completed by Thanksgiving.

Habitat for Humanity is a non-profit organization that exists to eradicate substandard housing worldwide by working in partnership with working class poor families to help them construct and purchase their own home.

“Habitat builds more than houses; it builds faith, hope, communities, confidence, dreams, lives, relationships and self-esteem for all people involved. That is what Habitat for Humanity is about,” Reaka said.

The campus chapter works under the Bowling Green-Warren County Habitat for Humanity affiliate in conjunction with the Youth Programs office at Habitat International. The Warren County Habitat chapter will select the home’s partner family.

“This house will be a great Christmas present that WKU can give to a needy family in Bowling Green,” Mills said.

For more on the WKU campus chapter, visit http://www.wku.edu/habitat/

More WKU news is available at www.wku.edu. If you’d like to receive WKU news via e-mail, send a message to WKUNews@wku.edu.

For information, contact Greg Mills at (270) 745-5850 or Bryan Reaka at (270) 745-7032.

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