Who We Are
The Pennsylvania State University Habitat for Humanity Campus Chapter has been building homes and building hope since 1990 as we serve the Greater Centre County community and beyond. Our chapter here at Penn State is associated with Habitat for Humanity of Greater Centre County, our parent affiliate, and we work closely with them by fundraising and providing volunteers.
Our members come from a wide range of majors and backgrounds, including Engineering, Plant Science, Marketing, and anything you can think of! The beauty of Habitat for Humanity is that there's no experience necessary to join or participate! Everything you need to know you can learn right on the build site, thanks to the dedicated and passionate volunteers and staff we get to work with.
Below are just a few things that our Campus Chapter does to volunteer, but the list goes on and on! In the past, we've worked with various organizations in the State College area, including Red Cross, Hearts for the Homeless, the State College CROP Walk, and National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week.
Penn State Habitat for Humanity members and staff of Sea Island Habitat for Humanity pose on a newly finished roof completed on the Collegiate Challenge trip to Johns Island, South Carolina in March 2019.
ReStore
Habitat ReStores are independently owned reuse stores operated by local Habitat for Humanity organizations. Think of them like a second-hand Home Depot; they sell new and gently used furniture, appliances, home accessories, building materials and more to the public at a fraction of the retail price. Proceeds are used to help build strength, stability, self-reliance and shelter in local communities and around the world.
Our members regularly volunteer at the ReStore in Bellefonte, PA on the weekends, but what does volunteering mean? Anything they need help with to make the ReStore a success! That could mean painting, helping to load and unload donations, interacting with customers, bringing donations out to the floor for sale, bagging nails, or an endless number of things!
Build Trips
Weekend Build Trips are a unique way for our members to get the Collegiate Challenge experience, but condensed into one or two days. Our Campus Chapter started Weekend Build Trips to satisfy our members' desire to volunteer on a tight college schedule!
Any member is able to host a build trip with a Habitat for Humanity affiliate near their home, where we volunteer for the weekend before returning to campus. We've sent Weekend Build Trips to places like Pittsburgh, Greensburg, Harrisburg, and even Burlington, New Jersey!
Collegiate Challenge
Habitat for Humanity's Collegiate Challenge goes on all across the country, all year long, providing college students with alternative spring breaks rooted in service. Collegiate Challenge offers an education all its own. Whether your group is on the build site or serving in the ReStore, you’ll be learning about substandard living conditions and how affordable housing builds strength, stability and self-reliance for homeowners. This allows our members to not just see a house being built or repaired, but the people behind it – macro issues on a micro scale.
Our Campus Chapter has been sending members on Collegiate Challenge trips over the University's week-long spring break for as long as we can remember. These trips are a very affordable way for our members to have a fulfilling spring break while giving back to a community in need. We've been to states all over the country, including Colorado, Texas, Louisiana, North and South Carolina, Florida, and more!
