HOLLAND — Lakeshore Habitat for Humanity hosted two groups of university students during their spring breaks.
Oklahoma State University sophomore Berenice Quinonez said she wanted to help others and spend her time “in a more community driven manner.”
For 25 years, Habitat’s Collegiate Challenge has offered alternative spring breaks for college and high school students. Since the program started, more than 250,000 students have helped build safe, affordable homes across the U.S.
Students typically build during their week in Holland and lend a hand at the housing ministry’s second-hand retail shop, the ReStore, in Holland Township. Oklahoma State senior Riley McKinney learned a few things.
“We got to do a lot of landscaping work, I would say, at the new house (the Tucker house in Fennville) and a lot of cleaning up,” she said. “We built a mailbox and that was really interesting, because I’ve never seen a mailbox built before.”
Lakeshore Habitat volunteer and outreach coordinator Travis Steinhoff says the timing is perfect for extra help.
“It’s fantastic. This time of the year a lot of our retired regulars are still in florida. Work slows down a little bit. It’s great to have these groups come out and invigoriate the work site and finish things up.”
Oaklahoma State senior Landon McGarrah said he enjoyed helping out and was duly impressed with Holland area restaurants, especially a breakfast at DeBoer’s Bakerij.
Purdue University students were in town last week.
