CHESTERTOWN, MD—Continuing a 15-year tradition of service, members of the Washington College Habitat for Humanity club drove to Georgia on March 9 and spent their spring break week building homes as part of the Columbus area’s Collegiate Challenge. Hosted by the Columbus Area Habitat and NeighborWorks of Columbus, the Challenge also drew teams from University of Pittsburgh, University of Western Kentucky, and Emory & Henry College. 

The Washington College team of 29 students and four staffers was assigned to construct two homes on Columbus’s 22nd Street. They cheerfully accepted the conditions, working through sun, wind, and rain, and sleeping on the gym floor of St. Mark’s United Methodist Church. The team spent down time eating donated ice cream, enjoying the facilities at the Columbus State University Recreation Center, and watching stand-up comedy. 

At week’s end, the team had taken their houses from slab to shingle, finishing more work than organizers had planned. They left with deepened dedication to bettering the lives of others through service. Click here to find photo galleries of the 2014 trip.

Above: WC student Britt Barr waits to transfer boards up to the roofing team. Below: Emily Eline, Britt Barr, Jordan Mitchell and Ryan Stevens. Photos by Kristina Kelley.