Habitat for Humanity

(My experience at South Ranch II;  Habitat for Humanity and Home Building Project Photos)

        On February 2, 2002 our class spent the day at South Ranch II. I found this day to have the most impact on me professionally and as well as an individual. At the park, I found a community that had come together to create a neighborhood for families in South Mountain Village. It is a neighborhood created with community support and designed with community interaction. I was extremely impressed by the amount of effort in not only building this community, also to the dedication in really making it a home for the residents. I saw a place which reminded me of how things used to be. Homes with porches so that one could get to know it's neighbors. I saw a beautiful park in the center of the community, a place where the families could spend time with one another. I saw a community center which hosted a variety of activities for it's residents young and old. I experienced a sense of community that I had thought was apart of the past and lost forever. 

        After our brief presentation it was time to go to work. Our class was split into two groups, one to work on the roof of a house and the other group was to work on the landscaping of another (see pictures below). As we worked and talked, I had begun to feel that we were a team. A group of students who had come together in an effort to learn as well as give back to the community. I can not even describe the spirit of camaraderie amongst us all. From me, this was innovative teaching and a true learning experience that would be not otherwise possible. The toughest part of the day, was stopping, we all just wanted to keep going.  

        Now, a little about Habitat for Humanity and South Ranch II. South Ranch is a development by the Habitat for Humanity Organization in South Phoenix, which provides an opportunity for low in come residents to own their own home. Habitat was founded in 1976, up to date, it consists of more than 1050 chapters in 40 countries. Habitat has completed more than 30,000 homes. It has12 affiliate chapters in Arizona that have built more than 100 homes, selling them at no-profit, with no-interest mortgages. Habitat for Humanity "builds families and community by giving people an opportunity to own their own home and to enrich their lives."          

Learning from South Phoenix