[162] Habitat for Humanity to make history, housing at MTSU Oct. 19

MURFREESBORO — MTSU and Rutherford County Area Habitat for Humanity invite volunteers to be a part of the first panel build ever in Tennessee.

The historic event will take place from 9 a.m. until about 2 p.m. Monday, Oct. 19, in the parking lot of the MTSU Campus Recreation Center located on Blue Raider Drive across from Ezell Hall and the Paul W. Martin Sr. Honors College Building.

A searchable campus parking map is available at http://tinyurl.com/MTSUParking2015-16. Off-campus visitors attending the event should obtain a special one-day permit from MTSU’s Office of Parking and Transportation at http://www.mtsu.edu/parking/visit.php.

A panel build is a one-day event in which only the interior and exterior walls of a house are constructed. This panel build will occur in full view of students making their way to the Student Union, MT One-Stop and other nearby campus locations. Once constructed, the panels are stacked and stored until they are reassembled on the home site.

“It’s really important for our students to see that it’s not just work that they’re doing,” said Jackie Victory, director of student organizations and service. “It’s not just physical labor. It’s not just their time, but, in the very end, it’s something where a family has a home where they didn’t truly have a home before.”

The new home will be located at Castle and University streets for Zach and Nikki Newbold and their children, Zoe and Eli. Construction is slated to start at the end of March with the dedication anticipated around the end of April.

Each work shift for the upcoming panel build will last 30 minutes, and about 15 volunteers will be needed for each shift. Groups may reserve specific shifts. Individuals are also welcome to join a shift, even those with no construction or carpentry experience.

“Don’t let that hold you back because we have plenty of people on staff and … regular volunteers that will train you how to do everything you need to do,” said Terri Shultz, executive director of Rutherford County Habitat for Humanity. “You will come out with skills that you didn’t even know you could learn or wanted to learn.”

To volunteer, or for more information, contact Victory at 615-898-5812 or jackie.victory@mtsu.edu, or Shultz at 615-890-5877, extension 102, or terri@rchfh.org, or go to www.mtsu.edu/mymt.