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Sixty-four students from the MBA program, who had been planning to spend their spring break in an international immersion experience in Chile and were diverted from landing in the country because of the earthquake, wanted to do something for the area and help the Chilean people.

“Habitat for Humanity is a cause near and dear to our students’ hearts,” said Amy Cathey, MBA program director. “The last six MBA classes have built a Habitat home in Knoxville, and this year’s class currently is raising funds for their seventh. So, this charity was a natural fit.”

According to Habitat for Humanity Chile, the MBA donation will be used as part of a larger contribution that will help rebuild and repair homes, schools and community centers in Curepto, Villa Prat, Paine, and Santa Maria Island.

“Through our work with Habitat for Humanity Knoxville, the MBA class knows how important having a home can be. Throughout the aftermath of the earthquake, we were all impressed by the strength of the Chilean people. We wanted to do something in their honor, and this donation seemed to be a perfect fit,” said Katie Davidson, an MBA student in the Class of 2010.

For more information on Habitat Chile’s efforts, please visit http://www.habitat.org/intl/lac/45.aspx.

For more information about the UT Knoxville College of Business Administration, visit http://bus.utk.edu.

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C O N T A C T :

Cindy Raines (865-974-4359, craines1@utk.edu)

More than 100 UT students contributed more than 800 volunteer hours over the course of five Saturdays in February and March to build the 1,496-square foot house in northwest Knoxville. The home features five bedrooms and two bathrooms.

This is the ninth house built by UT Resident Assistants (RAs), in conjunction with Habitat for Humanity since 1996. The program, called Housing for Housing, is coordinated by the Department of University Housing. Student volunteers are guided through the building process by experienced Habitat for Humanity supervisors. On the first day of building, called “Blitz Day,” students are met by only a slab of concrete and piles of building supplies. By the end of the Blitz Day, walls and trusses were in place, and there was wood on the roof.

“The RAs raise money each fall semester and in the beginning we built a house each year,” said Jerry Adams, associate director of university housing. “Starting in the spring of 2000 we have built a house every other year.”

RAs also are responsible for recruiting other student volunteers.

“We had the RAs sign up first and then get them to sign up residents,” said Rachel Edington, resident director at Humes Hall. “They’re wanting to get involved, they’re asking questions. They’re the ones sending e-mails to me saying ‘Hey are there still spots available? I’d love to help out.’ They make the process a lot easier.”

Edington said it’s not unusual for there to be a waiting list for volunteers, as the project only consists of five work days. And those work days start early.

“To wake up at 7 a.m. to do this, any other time I might not go,” said Robert Melvin, resident assistant at North Carrick Hall. “But I jump up to wake up for this. It’s just a lot of fun. Really makes me feel good to come out in whatever kind of weather it is and help this family out.”

In the featured video, volunteers are sporting “Volunteers Rock the World!” t-shirts. “Volunteers Rock the World!” is part of the Ready for the World Initiative and aims to highlight members of the UT Knoxville family who are lending a hand at home or in communities around the globe. To learn more about “Volunteers Rock the World!” and Ready for the World, visit http://www.utk.edu/readyfortheworld/rock.

Around 2,500 people will volunteer through the week, including the new homeowners themselves, who put in 500 hours of “sweat equity” in constructing Habitat homes for others while learning life skills such as setting a family budget and managing their personal finances.

When the last home is complete, Knoxville Habitat for Humanity will have built 363 homes since 1985.

The dedication ceremony is set for 11 a.m. Saturday, April 25.