Oakton Community College students rehab home for Vietnam vet

While some college students head for a warm beach this time of year, others roll up their sleeves and grab a hammer. During the recent spring break, the Oakton Community College Habitat for Humanity Club visited downstate Sangamon County for a week of building structures and making friendships.

According to club president Johnathan Powell, “We do it to help others, but no matter how hard you work, you always get 10 times more out of it than you put into it.”

Seventeen students from many different ethnic and religious backgrounds worked together with two faculty club sponsors for several days putting on new siding and finishing drywall on a house that was being rebuilt for 66-year-old Vietnam veteran, Marshall Brown. A grandfather who had undergone four hip surgeries, Brown needs a house that has handicap access and is free of the air quality and mold problems that plague his health at his current rental unit. All funds raised for the project by the club were generously matched by a State Farm Insurance Company grant.

“It was a lot of hard work for a great cause, but I think the student volunteers had a wonderful experience,” one of the faculty leaders, Marvin Bornschlegl, said. “They had fun, made new friends, and went home excited about what they accomplished.”

Two of three women in the club were glad they participated and wanted to assure other women that construction work isn’t just for men, Angelica Ramirez said, “I was afraid at first that I was too small or not strong enough for the work, but this experience definitely boosted my self-confidence.” Cory Melnick added, “We were exhausted at the end of each day, but it was a good feeling. Everyone was very encouraging and I discovered that I could accomplish as much as anyone.”

On the week-long trip, Oakton students and faculty were well fed and housed by Sangamon County Habitat for Humanity staff and volunteers, and the Westminster Presbyterian Church. Besides working on the house, students also worked on a few smaller projects including building several handicap access ramps for other local residents and helping with shelving projects at the Habitat for Humanity ReStore facility.