Hammerin' Irish 2007

Earmark your annual contribution for the Alumni Habitat Build by listing the following account number:   #360404


Mississippi Gulf Coast -- February 11 - 16

Help rebuild the gulf coast region with fellow Notre Dame alumni during the week of February 11 – 16, 2008.  The cost for lodging and meals for the week is only $100!

Please register through the link below if you are interested.  Contact Marian Appleton (Appleton.3@nd.edu) with any questions.

Key information:

  • The work week on the build site is Tuesday-Friday, with volunteers arriving on Monday and checking out on Saturday. Registration for volunteers lodging at the Habitat Village is from 8am-5pm on Monday and there is a mandatory orientation for all volunteers at 5pm Monday.
  • Habitat for Humanity of the Mississippi Gulf Coast houses its volunteers at the Habitat Village in East Biloxi.  The Habitat Village is located at Yankie Stadium, which is owned by The Salvation Army. The Salvation Army provides lodging, and three meals a day Tuesday-Friday.
  • For volunteers that stay at the Habitat Village there is a $100 registration fee per person per week.   
  • Our volunteers stay in cabin-like "bunkhouses" on one side of the stadium (they have A/C and heat!) and bathrooms and showers located in them. They are next to the bleachers, which have been completely renovated and are now a lounge area for the volunteers. There are couches, a TV, pool table, etc. and this is also where breakfast and dinner are served. Volunteers pack their lunches in the mornings to take to the job sites with them.   
  • Please note that volunteers staying at the village MUST check out by 6pm on Saturday. No volunteers will be able to stay over on Saturday.
  • Volunteers are responsible for their own transportation while in Mississippi, as well as travel arrangements to Mississippi.
  • Closest airport is Gulfport/Biloxi International in Gulfport, MS. New Orleans is 1 ½ hours away
  • All volunteers must be 16 years old or older; no exceptions. (If any volunteers are under the age of 18, there are specific requirements for groups as well as any individuals. Please notify us directly if you are bringing anyone under the age of 18.)

How to register online:

1.    Go to http://hfhmgc.cmiregistration.com/

2.    Select Volunteer Opportunities.

3.    Select the date you would like to volunteer. (Week of Feb 11th)

4.    Select your housing choice.

5.    Once you selected your housing choice look at the right hand column.  Under registration click CHECKOUT.

6.    If this is your first time registering with us, please create a new account.  This will take you to the application. Continue to the next page after all information has been entered in the application. 

7.    Select your name from the drop down menu, and hit Continue.

8.    Select your group name (Notre Dame Alumni) and complete the medical questions, skills questionnaire, waivers and dress code. (If you get an error when continuing to the next page, hit the "Back" button on your browser, and try re-submitting. It should work without a problem.)

9.    If you have selected NO HOUSING the last payment option you will need to select PAY IN PERSON.  You can also select Pay In Person to mail a check or money order. This must be done within 15 days of completing your registration. *There is no charge for volunteers that will not need housing accommodations.*

10.  You will receive an email confirmation of your registration, and you are able to sign into your account at any time to view your registration(s) and edit your information

 

Past Hammerin' Irish Programs

Each year the Alumni Association's Community Service Program, in conjunction with the local St. Joseph County, Indiana affiliate for Habitat for Humanity, provides the opportunity for alumni and friends to return to Notre Dame for a 5-day Habitat Blitz Build.   

The 10th annual "Hammerin' Irish" Blitz Build took place June 4 - 8, 2007 in South Bend.  More than 40 ND graduates participated in the blitz build, which resulted in the construction of a new home at the corner of Walnut and Washington streets on the west side of South Bend.  The build was funded by donations from alumni, as well as the local Habitat chapter, Notre Dame Federal Credit Union and the Haggar Corp. Foundation.

            

In 2006, dozens of Notre Dame alumni volunteers from 15 states participated in “Building on Higher Ground,” a 100-unit housing project for displaced Hurricane Katrina victims in Shreveport, La.  The Alumni Association partnered with Millard Fuller, founder of Habitat for Humanity and president of the Fuller Center for Housing, to construct a new home in fewer than five days.  This was the program’s first and only project outside of South Bend.

For information about the"Hammerin' Irish" Blitz Build, contact Heather Tonk, director of service programs, ND Alumni Association at 574-631-6723.

For more information about Habitat for Humanity, visit the Habitat website.
  
 
Reactions to Habitat for Humanity

"I look around and think about what this was a few days ago and I really have a good feeling, not just that we've worked in a community with others, but that soon this will be home to Cecelia and her family. the alumni are people to look up to and to look forward to after graduation. As an alum, I'll definitely continue in service. It's become a part of my life."
- Pete Madden '96

"The ND spirit says when you do something, you do it here, wherever it's needed. When people's backs are against the wall, the family helps. And we're all family. This is what a Christian education is all about, being willing to do for others."
- David Link '58, '61JD Dean, Notre Dame Law School

"I feel, oh, excited, very special. To have Notre Dame come from all over is a blessing. They pay attention to detail, they don't rush, they make sure everything is just right so when the inspectors come it doesn't have to be done over. It makes me feel that if this was their own house, this is what they would do."
- Cecelia Bradshaw recipient Habitat for Humanity: JCWP home