Habitat for Humanity International, one of the largest nonprofit, nondenominational Christian housing organizations, will be launching Habifest 2004 on March 31, which is a nationwide, student initiated day of advocating for affordable housing for those who lack adequate shelter.
What is special about the annual Habifest is that the event was organized in 2002 strictly out of students’ concern on poverty, hoping to bring good results by raising awareness about the issues surrounding substandard housing and influencing public policy so that people may be provided with affordable housing. .
Hundreds of high schools and famous universities across the nation will participate in the event. HabiFest is also happening internationally outside of the U.S.
Habitat for Humanity considers the day of advocacy as an opportunity for the students to present volunteerism meeting activism, to inspire another to take up the cause or declare its worthiness, to give a voice to the voiceless by using their own voice, and to educate.
Habitat for Humanity suggests four different ways to hold the event:
1. Walk-to-Rally: Walk from your campus to your City or Town Hall and hold a peaceful rally calling for affordable housing.
2. Online Letter Writing Campaign: Send e-mails regarding specific housing-related legislation that will then be faxed to your state representatives.
3. Flood the Phone Lines: Using the provided prompt, call your state representative’s office and ask him or her to support specific legislation that will help end poverty housing.
4. Noontime Prayer Hour: Join chapters across the nation at noon in an interfaith prayer to end poverty housing. A student-written prayer will be provided for your use.
Local schools that are participating in the event will also hold various activities such as Community Scavenger Hunt, which is finding the local food banks, shelters and social service offices; Large Visual, which is displaying poster or banner that addresses the housing needs; Writing Campaigns, where students ask federal, state and local representatives to support legislation that promote affordable housing, and so on.
Since 1976, Habitat has built more than 50,000 houses with families throughout the United States and another 100,000-plus houses in communities around the world. Now at work in 92 countries, they are building a house every 26 minutes. By 2005, Habitat houses will be sheltering 1 million people.
****Complete List of HabiFest 2004 Participating Schools
*International
Three Oaks Senior High
Canadian Academy International School
*Alabama
Auburn University
Briarwood Christian High School
Judson College
Randolph School
Spring Hill College
University of Montevallo
University of North Alabama
*Arkansas
University of Arkansas
Hendrix College
John Brown University
*Arizona
Arizona State University
*California
Maranatha High School
Pepperdine University
Tustin High School
UCLA
University of California- Berkeley
University of California- Irvine
University of California, Riverside
Flintridge Preparatory School
*Colorado
Colorado State University
*Connecticut
Central Connecticut State University
Eastern Connecticut State University
Quinnipiac University
Southern Connecticut State University
The Hotchkiss School
Trinity College
University of Hartford
*District of Columbia
Georgetown University
The Catholic University of America
*Florida
Barry University
Bartram Trail High School
Flagler Palm Coast High School
Florida Southern College
Florida State University
Lake Region High School
Rollins College
*Georgia
Andrew College
Berry College
Georgia Southern University
Georgia Southwestern State University
LaGrange College
Marist School
Mercer University
North Springs high School
Northview High School
Shorter College
Tucker High School
University of Georgia
Valdosta State University
Wesleyan College
Westminister
*Iowa
Coe College
Sioux Center High School
University of Northern Iowa
Wartburg College
*Illinois
Bradley University
Northern Illinois University
Spoon River College
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
*Indiana
Indiana University
Purdue University
Saint Joseph's College
Terre Haute South Vigo High School
Tri-State University
University of Southern Indiana
Valparaiso University
*Kansas
Sterling College
*Kentucky
University of Kentucky
Western Kentucky University
*Louisiana
Lousiana State University
*Massachusetts
Amherst College
Boston University
Five College
Hampshire College
Mount Holyoke College
*Maryland
Easton High School
Johns Hopkins University
Mount Saint Mary's College
Towson University
*Michigan
Bowdoin College
St. Joseph's College
Hope College
Michigan State University
University of Michigan
*Minnesota
Bemidji State University
Gustavus Adolphus College
Minnesota State University- Mankato
St. Cloud State University
St. Mary's University
University of Minnesota- Twin Cities
Winona State University
*Missouri
Evangel University
Truman State University
University of Missouri- Columbia
Westminister College
*Mississippi
Millsaps College
University of Mississippi
University of Southern Mississippi
*North Carolina
Elon University
High Point University
North Carolina State University
UNC- Chapel Hill
University of North Carolina- Asheville
*Nebraska
Wayne State College
*New Hampshire
Keene State College
Rivier College
*New York
Iona College
New York University
State University of New York- Geneseo
SUNY Cortland
Syracuse University
Yorktown High School
*Ohio
University of Findlay
Definance College
John Carroll University
Otterbein College
University of Dayton
University of Toledo
Wittenberg University
Wright State University
*Oklahoma
Oklahoma City University
University of Tulsa
*Pennsylvania
Allegheny College
Eastern University
Juniata College
Lycoming College
Milton Hershey School
Oakland Catholic High School
Pennsylvania State University
St. Vincent College
Temple University
University of Pittsburgh
University of Scranton
*South Carolina
Clemson University
College of Charleston
Black Hills State University
*South Dakota
Augustana College
University of South Dakota
*Tennessee
Rhodes College
Tennessee Technological University
*Texas
Austin College
Baylor University
Rice University
Sam Houston State University
Texas Lutheran University
University of North Texas
University of Texas- Austin
*Virginia
Mary Washington College
Ferrum College
Virginia Tech
*Washington
Bellarmine Prepatory School
Hoquiam High School
University of Washington
*Washington
Beloit College
Carthage College
Lakeland College
St. Norbert College
University of Wisconsin- Madison
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
University of Wisconsin- River Falls
*West Virginia
West Virginia University
