College students help Habitat

Spring break for colleges and universities is generally a time to let loose and party, then go home and recuperate. Some students prefer a more altruistic break, searching out opportunities for service.

Sisters benefited from a group of Moorhead University students who chose that route. The students drove straight through from Moorhead, Minnesota to work on two Habitat for Humanity homes last weelk.

Eight students made the trip, which for many was their first time to Oregon, though not the first time to work for Habitat.

Trip Leader David Guarez was on his third Habitat trip, and appreciated the kindness and hospitality shown by volunteers and community members in Sisters. Food, hot drinks, cookies and more cookies flowed to the jobsites each day.

The Nugget visited workers at Penny Quinn's home on Cowboy Street, which will be completed by the end of March, according to Larry Lennon, Sisters Habitat vice president and building chairman. He was working alongside the students and said, "I've worked with many students, and these young people are amazing. They drove 1,500 miles at their own expense, looking for an alternative spring break."

Students in towns and cities with Habitat for Humanity affiliates join the group and work in their own communities. Each spring break, students have an opportunity to travel to other affiliates. This year, Moorhead University sent teams to Sisters, Texas, California, Florida and New Jersey, said Guarez.

Team member Casey Gruman, a computer information systems major from Mandan, North Dakota, said, "It just felt like a better way to spend a spring break."

It was Gruman's first visit to Oregon, but Sisters made a lasting impression on him.

"There were so many cookies. Too many cookies? Not possible," he said.