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Panhandling for Poverty

I think that more than anything, we were able to help much of the student body gain a little insight into the ideas of privilege and poverty housing.

Lisa Thompson, president of NC State Habitat for Humanity

By Dave Pond, Web Communication

During the last week of September, students from more than 20 campus organizations left the comforts of their apartments and residence hall rooms behind and moved into a village of 16 sparse, wooden shacks strewn together on the NC State brickyard.

Twenty-four hours a day, the student panhandlers begged, sang and danced for money from those strolling by, raising more than $25,885 for Habitat for Humanity in the effort to eliminate poverty housing in Raleigh and beyond.

"This was the most successful Shack-A-Thon ever," said Lisa Thompson ('08), president of the NCSU Habitat for Humanity Campus Chapter. "All of the groups involved really embraced the spirit of service that makes organizations like Habitat succeed. 

"Although we raised more money and had more students participate than ever before, I think that more than anything, we were able to help much of the student body gain a little insight into the ideas of privilege and poverty housing."

In addition to panhandling, organizations could receive donations online through the chapter's website. The groups got creative, raising money through spin-the-wheel giveaways, kissing booths and a water-balloon toss - where a dollar would get you a potshot at campus dignitaries like provost Larry Nielsen.

Throughout the fun and games, each group was able to keep focused on their collective mission of raising awareness of poverty-level housing.

"Habitat for Humanity supports a hand up, not a hand out," Thompson said. "Our purpose is to break the poverty cycle for people that might just need a break by helping them get on their feet. 

"It's the greatest feeling in the world when you know you have helped provide a child with his own bedroom when that child has never known anything but a shared bed with his grandmother," she said. "Sometimes a solid house can keep a family from breaking apart, so I want to save as many families as possible."

Shack-A-Thon began as the simple brainchild of a couple of NCSU Habitat students who built a single shack and stayed a day on the brickyard. Other student organizations noticed the shack and decided to help out and within a year or so, a full-blown Shack-A-Thon was born.

"Throughout the years, the groups have become more competitive and the shacks have become a lot nicer," Thompson said. "The most important change I've seen is the student spirit.

"Students are anxious to come out and enjoy the camaraderie, and several of the student organizations that have shacks (InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, Chi Alpha Christian Fellowship, and the InterResidence Council) actually provided food and fellowship events for the entire village," she said. "These participants are really embracing the spirit of generosity that we're trying to get across to this campus - that's where positive change begins."

Related Links:

• NC State Habitat for Humanity Student Chapter
• Student Organizations Resource Center
• Campus Activities

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