University students volunteer

Eleven students from Emporia State University in Emporia, Kansas, spent their spring break in Sisters last week, helping build two homes for Sisters Habitat for Humanity. They left 70-degree weather and flew to Portland. While driving past Government Camp they were greeted by a snowstorm and didn't arrive in Sisters until after midnight. Yet they were up the next morning, ready to start work on the homes at 412 and 402 N. Desert Rose Lp.

"They are one of the most eager and fast-learning groups that I have worked with," Habitat's Construction Manager Darleene Snider said.

The trip was part of the national Collegiate Challenge Build through Habitat for Humanity International. Elayna Coleman, 21, the community service coordinator for the alternative spring-break program at the university, picked Sisters as the location for the team's visit because it was affordable to get here and it looked like a neat town, she said.

"It's one of the most welcoming communities we've been to," she said.

The community did welcome the students. They stayed at Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church and were given access to Sisters Athletic Club to shower. Sisters Bakery donated donuts to the students and construction volunteers, and several Habitat volunteers cooked lunches for the group while they worked at the job site.

Zach Mandell, 20, shared how he wanted to join the group because he had worked with Habitat for Humanity in Kansas and fell in love with Habitat and its cause.

"I would rather build with Habitat than go to Padre. It's great doing something for someone else," he said of coming to Sisters instead of the popular Texas island where many students venture for spring break.

The Emporia students were at the construction site four of the five days in Sisters. They raised walls at the future home of Selah Broderick, taped windows at the future home of Alexandra Lantaler and learned to work many power tools. On their day off they hiked in Camp Sherman by the Metolius River.

"It was gorgeous and the water was so clear," Mandell said.

During the week, the students built camaraderie with the regular construction volunteers. On their last day they enjoyed a barbecue lunch with the volunteers and celebrated collegiate challenge volunteer Amy McMillin's birthday. As they left, lots of hugs and thank-yous were shared, and the college kids talked about coming back in the summer or for spring break next year.