May 12 2006
On May 17-21, 2006, the Alumni Association of the University of Michigan, in partnership with Habitat for Humanity's Detroit affiliate, will construct frames and wall sets on the Ann Arbor campus to be used in homes for hurricane survivors and low-income families.
Alumni, friends, students and University staff will work side-by-side to frame five homes. Two house frames will be sent to Dallas, Texas, to become part of the Alumni Association's "Little Big House," named after Michigan's famous stadium. The remaining three home frames will be used by Habitat for Humanity in local Detroit homes.
Construction in Ann Arbor will take place at Elbel Field, located at South Fifth Avenue and Hill Street. Construction activities will take place daily, beginning Wednesday, May 17 and operating until Sunday, May 21.
Dallas was selected as home site for The Little Big House because the most devastated areas of the Gulf Coast are not yet fully prepared for rebuilding, and there is desperate need for housing for hurricane families displaced to Texas. There is also an active U-M alumni club in the Dallas area.
Geraldine Davis, 69, and Joella Davis, 47, will move into The Little Big House in July. When Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans and their home was destroyed, the Davis family headed west with other family members, eventually settling in Dallas. Today, Joella works as the administrative manager for a Katrina relief center and aids other families displaced by the storms. The Alumni Association of the University of Michigan will financially sponsor the entire Little Big House for the Davis family.
"So many alumni and friends were affected by the hurricanes, and thousands are still without adequate housing and funds to rebuild," said Alumni Association President Steve Grafton. "We wanted to do something to bring a little Michigan spirit to the South." Alumni, students and friends of the University can participate in the Little Big House project in a variety of ways.
* The Alumni Association is raising $150,000 to cover the costs of the Little Big House project.
* Volunteers can also travel to Dallas to construct The Little Big House with the Alumni Association and Habitat for Humanity's Dallas affiliate. Work will take place June 12-17, 2006 in Dallas' Southeast Oak Cliff neighborhood.
"The generosity demonstrated by the alumni, students and University staff working together on this worthwhile project has always been the way of the Leaders and Best," said Grafton, whose mother lives in one of the damaged areas of Mississippi. "This is our opportunity to make an incredible impact on the lives of a family."
Habitat for Humanity affiliates around the country are partnering in a variety of innovative ways with concerned groups to help create housing for families displaced by last year's hurricanes in the Gulf Coast.
"The Little Big House Project is a great way for the University of Michigan community to show its support," said Rob Dewaelsche ('77), executive director of Habitat for Humanity Detroit. "We are pleased to help provide construction leadership for the project."