Students Fundraise from Cardboard Fortresses

You may have noticed makeshift cardboard structures on Tech Green earlier this week, as students from across campus staked out to raise funds for their own organizations and Habitat for Humanity.

Habitat for Humanity at Georgia Tech organized its first Shack-A-Thon on Nov. 16 and 17, which had students construct shelters from cardboard to then use as fundraising sites. The Habitat chapter provided materials and invited other campus organizations to participate. Organizations then gave back a portion of their funds to Habitat and kept the rest for their own philanthropic endeavors.

“We wanted to do something that let us be more present on campus and more relevant to students,” said Brent Rosseland, an industrial engineering major and president of Tech’s Habitat group. The event was modeled after ones hosted at other universities. “The ‘shack’ is symbolic of Habitat for Humanity’s mission of building homes for those in need, so the event exudes Habitat’s global mission while also providing a platform for organizations all around Georgia Tech to come together to raise funds and create awareness for philanthropy.”

Tech’s Habitat chapter will use its funds to send more students on Habitat for Humanity builds in and around the Atlanta community. Spots on the build events are earned through donations — so the more funds raised, the more opportunities for Tech students to participate.

Habitat for Humanity was founded in 1976 and aims to address housing and poverty worldwide. Its administrative headquarters are in Downtown Atlanta and its global headquarters in Americus, Georgia. The Georgia Tech Student Foundation and Home Depot in Midtown assisted in providing resources and materials for this year’s Shack-A-Thon, which Rosseland said will become an annual event on campus.

For more information on Habitat for Humanity at Georgia Tech, contact Rosseland at brentrosseland@gatech.edu.