Members of OU's Habitat for Humanity chapter spent their winter break in Miami working on houses as part of the Collegiate Challenge.

By Rebecca Wyatt Thomas, OU Web Writer

Students from OU’s chapter of Habitat for Humanity participated in the Collegiate Challenge over the winter break. The seven students traveled to Miami to help work on houses for the county’s $872,000 project to build a neighborhood with 52 houses for those in need.

“We did a lot of small tasks while we were there,” said Matt Sawicki, who helped organize the trip to Miami. “We did a lot of final work to some of the houses and some preparation work for the schools who will be visiting the area in the coming weeks during their winter breaks.”

Sawicki was one of 20 OU students who traveled to Slidell, La., last year to help build houses in the area hit hard by Hurricane Katrina in the fall of 2005. He said this trip was much different.

“This trip had more of an upbeat tone. The people were more energetic. It was definitely a different experience,” said Sawicki.

The OU members were divided among different houses in the under-construction subdivision. They painted, helped move drywall and put other finishing touches on the houses.

Sawicki plans to encourage OU’s Habitat to participate in such a program again next year.

“We should definitely do this again. Hopefully we can select a different city and experience something new each year,” said Sawicki.

For more information on OU’s Habitat for Humanity chapter, contact the Center for Student Activities at (248) 370-4200.