Release No. 03242005

Date: March 24, 2005                                                              FOR RELEASE APRIL 1, 2005

Contact: Romey Brooks, Public Relations
             Dee Danmeyer, Executive Director
             Habitat for Humanity of Frederick County, MD
             4 East Church Street
             Frederick, MD 21701

Phone: 301/846-0430 (Brooks) or 301/698-2449 (Habitat)
Fax: 301/846-9991 (Brooks) or 301/698-1697 (Habitat)
Email: romey.brooks@adelphia.net or director@frederickhabitat.org

Mt. St. Mary’s HabiFest to Benefit Habitat

Melissa Main, director of community service and service learning at Mt. St. Mary’s University, announced that the school’s 2005 HabiFest occurring Wednesday, April 6 will benefit Habitat for Humanity. The Mount and Gettysburg College are teaming with the area’s United Methodist churches to build a new Habitat home in Silo Hill, Emmitsburg.

“HabiFest is a day to advocate for the homeless,” Main explained. “We will have a variety of activities including information tables, a donation jigsaw puzzle, a dinner and speaker, a prayer service, a movie and the sleep-out in ‘Shantytown’,” she continued.

“Shantytown” is the improvised, cardboard-box town where the occupants---students, faculty, administrators and staff---build and decorate their cardboard “home” for the overnight stay. The individuals who sleep out get sponsors whose donations will go directly to the Emmitsburg project. The goal is $3,000. A decorating contest also takes place, with the most unique shanty winning a prize.

For the first time students from Mt. St. Mary’s University and Gettysburg College will collaborate on this local Habitat project through various fundraising activities such as HabiFest or through actual site work.

Groundbreaking took place in February and excavation and foundation pouring occurred in late March. “I hope to frame the home during the first two weeks of April with a late summer completion date the goal,” said Tim Spickler, construction coordinator. “This earlier-than-usual construction schedule will allow the college students to actively take part during their spring semester,” he added. Traditionally Habitat has built during the summer when the local college students are back home.

The new home will be the 23rd Habitat will have built in Frederick County since 1995. Habitat plans to build others as funding and land purchases allow. Although the organization has just completed its annual fundraising drive, donors can make contributions anytime. The non-profit is constantly in search of lots which can be donated or acquired at less-than market value, thus allowing the seller to take a tax credit for the donation or reduced price.

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