Dal students bound for Biloxi

Top from left: Jesse Howatt, Iain Arseneau, Aaron Vomberg. Bottom from left: Rachel Aaron, Jessica Roy, Sam Levy. (Nick Pearce Photo)

There was a flood—but this time, it was a good kind of flood. After an article entitled “Building on experience” appeared in Dalnews last June, the Dalhousie chapter of Habitat for Humanity was inundated with applications for their next spring break trip to the southern United States.

“We printed off 60 sheets and then 100 more people turned up than we expected,” says Aaron Vomberg, one of DalHabitat’s co-presidents, of their first meeting for the year.

“It was ridiculous,” adds fellow co-president Jessica Roy.  “Last year, we got 54.”

They’ve had so much interest—a whopping 165 applications and counting—that they may have to turn some people away.  But with a projected 150-strong crew of students heading south in February, they can still “safely say that this is the largest contingent that any university from Canada has taken down to do a humanitarian effort.”

DalHabitat works in partnership with the HRM chapter of Habitat for Humanity, as well as Collegiate Challenge, an American organization that finds spring break volunteer opportunities for universities across the U.S., and now a few in Canada.  Last year, DalHabitat volunteers worked on the Musicians’ Village, a building project in New Orleans.

Next month, during study break, the Dalhousie students will be travelling to Biloxi, Mississippi. With more students than ever on board, DalHabitat is set to leave a mark even its founders couldn’t have dreamed of in 2006, when 18 students made the pilgrimage in rented minivans. Although organizing a road trip and 11 days of volunteer work for 150 students could seem daunting, Ms. Roy and Mr. Vomberg insist that “It’s going to go smoothly.” 

Luckily, they’ve got a dedicated exec behind them: Iain Arseneau, Rachel Aaron, Jesse Howatt, and Sam Levy.  Thanks to this hard-working team, an unprecedented number of Dalhousie students will escape the winter for two weeks, and may even have the experience of a lifetime.

Applications for the spring break trip have closed, but DalHabitat encourages students to check out the HRM chapter of Habitat for Humanity for other volunteer opportunities.