WCAX.COM Local Vermont News, Weather and Sports-Tuck Students Help Build Homes

Tuck Students Help Build Homes

Lebanon, New Hampshire - August 28, 2009

The sound of hammers pounding nails fills the air in Lebanon, N.H. When this duplex is complete, two less-fortunate families will call it home.

"We offer home ownership, as opposed to rental for income levels that would not otherwise be able to have home ownership," explained Don Derrick, of Upper Valley Habitat for Humanity.

Habitat for Humanity relies on volunteers to build the houses. On this day, grad students from Dartmouth's Tuck Business school are lending a helping hand.

"School is getting ready to start up in a week, week and a half, and it is an opportunity to get to know some of our classmates who are getting ready to start the program," student Adam Reeves said. "So, it gives us the opportunity to meet them as well as work in the Upper Valley and get to know the area."

"One of the things that drew me to Tuck is it connectedness with the community around it and I thought that volunteering for Habitat through Tuck Builds was a great way not only to meet my classmates, but to start to get involved in the Upper Valley community," student Sarah Austrin-Willis said.

One of the families who will occupy the duplex visited the site to meet those who are making their dream of home ownership come true. Students say the experience is rewarding.

"Frankly it is fun and it feels good to give back to the community that I am a part of," Austrin-Willis said.

"They bring high energy and four full days in a row and so we get a lot of work done out of these people," Derrick said.

About 20 grad students are taking part in this year's project. About half are in Lebanon, the other half are in Claremont at a root repair project. But they all have the same goal-- giving back to the community that educates them.

Adam Sullivan - WCAX News