The Upper Valley's Habitat for Humanity chapter is building its 11th home, and once again, Dartmouth students are doing more than their share of nailing and roofing.
The current house is being built in Hartland, Vt., and Dartmouth volunteers will be working twice a week performing various construction tasks.
Dartmouth has "a tremendously active chapter," and many students volunteer and serve on committees in the area, according to the Upper Valley Habitat's Family Selection Committee Chair Vera Mallary.
Up to 10 students at a time travel to Habitat building projects to help build twice a week.
Habitat often has to turn away students who want to volunteer, said Dartmouth's Habitat for Humanity chapter co-chair Jennifer Rottmann '02 said.
The Upper Valley Habitat for Humanity chapter selects families in need of better housing who are willing to help build their house. Using volunteers and donated materials, the house is built and then sold to the selected family through an interest-free mortgage.
In the past 11 years, the group has built 10 houses, and plans to build four more houses this year. "For the first time we're ahead of the game," Mallary said.
Although it was hard to gain support when they first started work in the region 11 years ago, Mallary said Habitat is now more visible, making it easier for them to raise money and acquire land.
"We must have 100 people" helping at housing sites at times, Mallary said, adding that many more are involved in fund-raising and committees.
Students don't need prior building skills to volunteer. "They'll teach you whatever they are doing," Rottmann said.
She added that especially this summer, the group should be able to accommodate more students wanting to get involved.
Rottmann said she got involved because she wanted to "get outside of the bubble of Dartmouth and see real people and real families and do something tangible to try to contribute."
"There is a lot of need in this area, which most students don't realize," Rottmann said.
Besides building, the Dartmouth Habitat chapter is also helping fund-raise for all the new homes to be build in the Upper Valley.
Proceeds from the Green Key weekend dunk tank at the Gold Coast Lawn's Unity Barbecue, as well as "Breakfast for a Buck" held at various clusters on Saturday will benefit Habitat's work.