Posted by William Nunnelley on 2006-12-05

For the fourth consecutive year, Samford University students and employees have participated in a special Habitat for Humanity project in Birmingham.

Samford is one of four corporate entities that have participated every year in the special "home for the holidays" promotion sponsored by Habitat and the local ABC-TV affiliate. With the help of the local Habitat office, ABC 33/40 enlists 10 corporate sponsors to help build a Habitat-sponsored house in 10 days for a local family.

The 2006 "home for the holidays" house is being built for Birmingham resident Gwen Hendon. Dedication of the "home for the holidays" house is set for 10:30 a.m. on Dec. 14.

More than 50 Samford students and employees participated in the Samford work day on Dec. 2. Lauren Ford and Leah Shell, co-coordinators for Samford's student Habitat chapter, coordinated student enlistment. Philip Poole, executive director of university communications, coordinated employee enlistment.

"We were thrilled with the number of volunteers, especially at such a busy time of year," said Ford. "With final exams, it sometimes is difficult to enlist volunteers, but, as usual, the Samford community rose to the challenge."

The "home for the holidays" house is the second this fall involving Samford students. Since early October, students have led a building project that was part of the community service emphasis surrounding the inauguration of new Samford President Andrew Westmoreland. Dedication ceremony for the Smith family house is scheduled for 2 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 10.

 
Samford is a leading Christian university offering undergraduate programs grounded in the liberal arts with an array of nationally recognized graduate and professional schools. Founded in 1841, Samford is the 87th-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. Samford enrolls 6,101 students from 45 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries in its 10 academic schools: arts, arts and sciences, business, divinity, education, health professions, law, nursing, pharmacy and public health. Samford fields 17 athletic teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference and ranks 6th nationally for its Graduation Success Rate among all NCAA Division I schools.