The Ranger Online

Issue date: 11/2/07 Section: Features

Media Credit: Derik Villanueva Former Northwest Vista College student Roxanne Faz accepts a housewarming gift from fine arts sophomore James Dominguez Oct. 24.

Roxanne Faz is now the proud owner of a new house thanks to Habitat for Humanity and this college's Public Administration Club.

About 10 members of the club worked on the house all day in April 2007, public administration Coordinator Sylvia DeLeon, club adviser, said Oct. 15.

Faz, who is a single mother and former student of Northwest Vista College, applied to Habitat for Humanity for a house back in February, and moved into the house on Oct. 23.

Habitat for Humanity is a Christian nonprofit organization that helps low-income families build their own houses. It was started in 1976.

According to its Web site, Habitat for Humanity requires a family to give at least 300 hours of their time to help build either their own house or another Habitat for Humanity house.

One of Faz's friends brought the situation of her needing these work hours to the attention of the club, and they decided to help her out, Faz said.

After her friend approached the club, "the ball went rolling from there," Faz said.

Members of the club contributed the hours they worked toward those 300 work hours that Faz needed, DeLeon said.

The house that was built for her is close to the Palo Alto College campus on San Antonio's South Side.

The house was in the beginning stages of being built when the club went to help, DeLeon said.

The foundation slab was already in place, so club members helped with the framing and roofing, she said.

The club spent almost the entire day at the construction site, with some members arriving as early as 7:30 a.m. and staying there until 5 p.m.

Several members of the club collected items such as linens, towels and dishes for Faz so that she had a head start in setting up housekeeping in her new home, DeLeon said.

The club personally delivered these items to Faz on Oct. 24.

This was the second Habitat for Humanity house that this college's public administration club has helped build.

The first one was in May 2003 on San Antonio's West Side, and was built for a family of four, DeLeon said.

The club at this college is open to all students regardless of their major, DeLeon said.

However, to become an officer, a student must either be pursuing a leadership certificate, Public Administration associate degree, budgeting in the public sector certificate, or labor studies certificate, DeLeon said.

There are no annual dues, she said.

The number of students who are members in the club range from 10-15 people.

For more information on joining, students can call 733-2888.

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