In October, Amherst became the first college in the country to donate land to Habitat to Humanity, a national nonprofit, nondenominational organization that organizes volunteers to build decent, affordable houses in partnership with those who lack adequate shelter.
The land—southwest of campus, near the intersection of Route 9 and South East Street—will serve as the site of four Habitat homes that will be built (primarily by Amherst College students, faculty, staff and alumni) over the next four years.
Architectural plans for the homes are currently being developed (an Amherst architectural firm, Kuhn Riddle and Associates, is donating design services), and it is hoped that construction on the first home will begin in spring 2006. The plan is to build one home a year for the next four years, so that succeeding generations of Amherst students will have an oppor-tunity to be involved.
The partnership was designed intentionally to involve as many Amherst College people as possible. “We wanted Amherst to support the project not just with dollars, but with the ‘sweat equity’ that characterizes Habitat projects,” said President Anthony W. Marx. “Amherst students from at least seven graduating classes will have a chance to be directly involved with this project. They’ll have a chance to see firsthand what Habitat can accomplish in a community.”
Amherst students have volunteered with Habitat for many years, according to Scott Laidlaw, the college’s director of community outreach, primarily through the Five College chapter of Habitat, which recently has built homes in Northampton, Turner’s Falls and other locations. But the proximity of the Amherst project will make it easier for students who don’t own cars to be involved. And it will also give students a chance to see the long-term impact that a Habitat for Humanity home can have on a community.
The impetus for the Amherst project came from James Patchett ’02, who approached then President Tom Gerety with the idea in his senior year. The proposal was greeted enthusiastically by the board of trustees, and over several months a team of college staff worked with Habitat staff and volunteers (including Brandon Braxton ’98) to coordinate details.
Additional information about the project will be featured in upcoming issues of the magazine.
Photo: Alison Klurfeld '07