Loyola’s Habitat for Humanity organization will dedicate its second home, located in West Baltimore’s Sandtown neighborhood, on Saturday, April 26 at 11 a.m. The dedication will feature prayer and song, as well as presentations to big donors, volunteers and keys to the new homeowner. The celebration will be followed by breaking bread together in the new completed home. 

Sandtown Habitat for Humanity is a nonprofit housing organization that builds and rehabilitates vacant houses in partnership with the new homeowners. Through volunteer labor and private funding, they sell completed homes to low-income families who purchase them with 20-year, no-interest mortgages. Their mortgage payments are contributed to a revolving fund which helps to finance other Habitat homes in the community. 

Loyola sponsored its first house through Habitat for Humanity’s Sandtown affiliate in 2005. To meet the sponsorship requirement of $25,000, Loyola’s Habitat chapter engaged in a number of fund raising activities, including letters to private and corporate donors, St. Patrick’s dinner, coin collection and t-shirt sales. That first house was completed and dedicated in April 2007.  

Loyola volunteers began work on a second house, which had been vacant for 12 years, last September. Volunteers removed debris and raised the frame of the house 12 inches to accommodate the 6’3” future homeowner. Work included projects such as laying joists, installing windows and insulation, building a deck, painting and laying foam boards. Dry wall, plumbing and electrical work were completed by licensed contractors. 

Volunteers consisted mainly of Loyola students, but community groups such as sports teams and College departments joined in occasionally. Current and future Habitat homeowners also helped. 

Plans for a third house are in the works, and efforts are underway to raise the funds needed for sponsorship. 

The partnership is coordinated by Loyola’s Center for Community Service and Justice. For more information, contact Andrea Goicochea at 410-617-5823.