Members of Binghamton University’s chapter of Habitat for Humanity helped build a foundation for reading and learning over the break ‘ literally ‘ as they constructed the basis for a library in Costa Rica.
The chapter of Habitat for Humanity at BU has existed since 1995, functioning around three cornerstones: building, fundraising and educating.
According to the chapter’s Web site, the group builds during the academic year and works in collaboration with Broome County Habitat for Humanity nearly every Saturday. To build as often as they do, the organization participates in fundraisers in order to ‘raise money to donate to Broome County to help cover the costs’ of the homes they help to work on a weekly basis.
In order to raise the money they needed to fund the program in Costa Rica, the group worked with the Manley’s Mighty Mart gas stations in Binghamton, through a connection forged by professor Kimberly Jaussi of the School of Management.
The trip was set for the new year in the middle of Binghamton’s winter break, a 10-day outing in Carbon Uno.
‘We began laying out trenches for the sewer line, we dug foundation, mixed and poured the concrete and we cleared the jungle in the area around,’ said Jack Brayton, the president of Binghamton’s Manley’s Mighty Marts gas stations, who accompanied the students on their trip.
It wasn’t all work and no fun though, as the group connected with the community.
‘They made us all a part of their community, we played soccer and swam in the river with the kids and we taught them English at night, and learned Spanish from them, so it was really rewarding for all of us,’ said vice president of the group, Christina Muscatello, who headed the trip.
While they didn’t finish the library themselves, Brayton and Binghamton’s chapter of Habitat did hire the contractor who was working with them to carry out the job after they had left.
This was the first Habitat project for Rich Zamore, a junior biological sciences and political science major, who ‘really loved it,’ especially the ‘hands-on volunteer work.’ Zamore said it was amazing that everyone on the trip paid to go to Costa Rica out of his or her own pockets, from the plane tickets to the food. All of the money that was raised went toward the library and not to cover the volunteer’s personal expenses on the trip.
‘It really showed our dedication,’ he added.
Brayton said he hopes that Manley’s will be able to work with Habitat for Humanity again.
‘She [Muscatello]’s a sharp young lady, she’s very caring and she deserves a lot of the credit for putting this together.’