Findlay, Ohio, April 7, 2003 — Students and faculty from The University of Findlay will construct and sleep overnight in a cardboard “Box City” on campus Thursday, April 10, as a way to raise awareness about poverty, homelessness and the work of Habitat for Humanity.

A collaboration between UF’s Campus Compact Center for Service & Learning and UF’s campus chapter of Habitat for Humanity, “Box City” is part of “HabiFest,” which according to Habitat for Humanity International, is a nationwide, student-initiated day of advocating for affordable housing.

The “Box City” event will begin at 3 p.m. with the construction of cardboard homes and will include the distribution of information on housing issues and homelessness as well as student-led discussions on affordable housing and the mission of Habitat. The University of Findlay is one of five other Ohio colleges and universities participating in HabiFest.

The University’s campus chapter of Habitat for Humanity has been active this semester, recently returning from a six-day alternative spring break trip to Americus, Ga., where a group of 15 students helped frame a new home for a Habitat for Humanity homeowner and learned about the origins of the Habitat organization.

Many of the students who participated in the trip are students in a UF class that focuses on local and national housing policies, homelessness and building community. The trip allowed these students to tie their classroom learning with hands-on experience, thus encouraging service learning, a growing initiative at UF.