From Pounding Volleyballs To Pounding Nails; Aurora University Women Spikers Pitch In On Habitat For Humanity Home

AURORA, Ill, August 29, 2007—As a community service, the Aurora University women’s volleyball team spent Saturday, Aug. 25, helping build a Habitat for Humanity home at 1326 Pearl St. in Montgomery. 

From 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., 12 student athletes and coach Jamie Walters spackled, installed electrical switch plates, cut molding boards and performed other construction tasks under tutelage of veteran Habitat volunteers.

Coach Walters initiated the partnership with Aurora-based Fox Valley Habitat for Humanity, an affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International. 

Andrea Buss, student-athlete from Oswego said, "Working together for Habitat for Humanity was a great experience. 

“Helping with the construction of a new home allowed our team to understand the concept behind Habitat while giving us a good feeling about bonding and volunteering to help others."  

Coach Walters added, “We decided to work with Habitat for Humanity so my student-athletes could experience helping the local community, and in addition, learn to work with each other outside of their comfort zones.”    

Habitat officials plan to dedicate the frame ranch-style home in October. 

The future homeowners are Mark Gomez and his wife, Clara, of Aurora. They and some of their four children worked alongside the Habitat volunteers on Saturday.

Since 1989, Fox Valley Habitat has completed 36 units housing nearly 200 low-income families in the Aurora and Montgomery area.

AU student-athlete volunteers were:

Danville: Molly Walton

East Dubuque: Kaylyn Kenkel

Elgin: Kristen Peara

Hampshire: Cheri Conro

Hickory Hills: Christine Ozlanski

Hudson: Sara Stark

Kempton: Amanda Hills

Oswego: Andrea Buss

Round Lake Beach: Jill Smart

Shorewood: Beth Shimkus

Spring Valley: Kayla Bowen

South Beloit: Amy Edwards

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