Using scraps of cardboard, Styrofoam, wood, and other common materials, Mississippi State sorority and fraternity members are patching together makeshift structures in an effort to highlight local poverty housing needs.
Titled "Poverty on the Row," the demonstration will be open for public viewing 5-7 p.m. Tuesday [April 15]. University Habitat for Humanity volunteers will be on hand during this time to answer questions.
Held together with duct tape and nails, the temporary structures will be located on Robert L. Jones Drive, across the street from the Chi Omega and Kappa Delta sorority houses.
Each participating team is limited to spending no more than $20 on its project. Once completed, a representative of each group will spend the night in the structure.
"The goal of 'Poverty on the Row' is to call attention to the need for decent homes among those living in poverty," said MSU Habitat education chair Pepper McWilliams. The project also illustrates the Greek commitment to philanthropy and volunteerism, she added.
"We invite all interested persons to take a few moments to stop by and see the structures," McWilliams said. "The experience might help those previously uninvolved to gain a better awareness of the local situation and, perhaps, encourage them to help us build more houses in the Starkville area."
For more about the project, visit the MSU Habitat for Humanity Web site at http://www.msstate.edu/org/habitat or telephone McWilliams at (662) 325-4889 or Camille Meyer-Arendt at 324-3266.
