Advice from the editor
Part two of What not to do at an interview

By Roy Warner · The Mainstream
Published June 1, 2010

A group of students in this term’s Small Group Discussion class took on the task of increasing awareness and raising resources for the local chapter of Habitat for Humanity by coordinating a fundraising campaign to benefit the organization and the families it provides homes for.

The project is one of many that students in Small Group have been doing as part of their course requirements. “We’ve had some wonderful projects in the past. We’ve had groups that have cleaned up the city park, cemeteries, a stretch of Highway 99, and had clothing drives. We had one group who published a photo spread Pearls of Wisdom which profiled about 15 local seniors and a little snip of their wisdom,” said instructor Paula Usrey.

The six member group who chose Habitat for Humanity for their project included Eric Hibbs, Shawn Foster, Brandon Beers, Tommy Norris, Chavis Sabin and Tatyana Wahlman.

The group has been busy for the last couple of weeks contacting local businesses for support and donations. They created a poster board presentation which they used as a backdrop for a booth where they conducted raffle sales and explained the organization’s purpose to the public.

During a recent set-up in the middle of campus, the group also solicited gift cards and household items to raffle.“I was surprised about how much support there was on campus,” said Beers.

The group also solicited donations and sold raffle tickets in front of Sherm’s Thunderbird Market. Tickets sold for $1.00, and the raffle drawing will be held during their group presentation to the class period tomorrow.

The initial goal set by the group was to raise $500, but they ended up raising over $600 for the local chapter.

The Small Group Communication class learns communication theories and practices through active participation in group discussions and projects. Particular focus is given to social organization and conduct. During project work, students’ skills in group communication are enhanced as they learn to deal effectively with conflict and to apply problem-solving techniques in task-oriented group settings. The class also covers methods used to develop attitudes and skills applicable to leadership and participation in work and civic committees. “When you get a group of people together, things get done,” said Sabin.

Habitat for Humanity is a non-profit, ecumenical Christian housing organization which works in partnership with people in need in order to build and renovate affordable homes.

Volunteers provide most of the labor to build a Habitat home, and individual and corporate donors provide money and materials to build Habitat houses. Participating families themselves invest hundreds of hours of labor, also known as sweat equity, into building their homes. Once a home is built, the homeowners’ mortgage payments are then put into a general fund which Habitat for Humanity uses to buy materials for the next home build. “We learned a lot about Habitat for Humanity, and they don’t just give houses away,” said Hibbs.

Donations of funds or of labor can be arranged at the website of the local chapter.

Other local organizations which will be benefiting from Small Group students’ efforts are Casa de Belen (a homeless shelter for families), Saving Grace (a pet adoption center) and Douglas County Low-Cost Veterinary Services, which will receive an estimated one thousand pounds of pet food.