Escambia County’s Habitat for Humanity is gearing up to host student volunteers in Atmore for spring break and are also looking for local men and women interested in volunteering their time to a good cause.

Beginning Monday, and lasting through Friday, 20 student volunteers from Central Michigan University will be in town helping the organization construct a home for Debra and Dillon Smith, a local family in need of affordable housing.

The students are participating in Habitat for Humanity’s national alternative break program, Collegiate Challenge.

Alecia Glaize, executive director of Escambia County’s Habitat for Humanity, said she is excited about the coming project.

“This is the seventh year we have hosted groups through Habitat’s Collegiate Challenge program,” Glaize said. “We always enjoy the students and they make an important contribution to our work. We have hosted students from Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania.”

Glaize said the students are excited about being able to spend their spring break making a difference, and because they will have the chance to do so in a warmer climate.

“This will be the first time we have hosted students from Michigan,” she said. “To have students from ‘up north’ volunteering in south Alabama is sort of a cultural exchange.”

Glaize said the students will be building wall panels and roof trusses for a Habitat home in the process of being built for the Smith family.
Glaize said for the past 24 years, more than 208,000 students have spent their school breaks volunteering across the country through Habitat for Humanity’s Collegiate Challenge program, donating more than $20 million to Habitat affiliates.

Glaize said Habitat is also soliciting help from individuals, churches, businesses and civic groups to extend southern hospitality to the college volunteers. Anyone who would like to donate meals, snacks, or welcome gifts for the students can contact the ECHFH office (251) 867-0095.