Campbellsville University international students move walls for Habitat for Humanity Metro Louisville during their community service project for “Give a Day, Get a Disney Day.” (Campbellsville University photo by Laura Cromer)

April 22, 2010
For Immediate Release

Campbellsville University international students help Habitat for Humanity

By Ashley Zsedenyi, staff writer

CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. - Campbellsville University's Center for International Education recently took advantage of a community service program to help enhance an international student trip to Orlando, Fla.

Not only did the international students work with Habitat for Humanity Metro Louisville as a “Give a Day, Get a Disney Day” service project to get free tickets to Walt Disney World, but as “a chance for some of our international students to participate in a service project that many of them wouldn't have participated in otherwise,” according to Laura Cromer, international student adviser at CU.

Cromer said she and other CIE staff thought the program “would be a great way to incorporate service into our trip,” and would be “great motivation for the trip participants to serve.”

“Who wouldn't want a free ticket to Disney?” she said.

“Plus, Habitat for Humanity is a wonderful organization that has a great mission to support families and build communities.”

Cromer led the service day with the following students: Emiri Anraku of Japan, Elie Abdou Bacari of France, Giselle Hernandez of Colombia, Joel Komena of France, Yukino Nagata of Japan, Anastasiia Oliinyk of Ukraine, and Andreina Gonzalez, Antonio Klie, Ricardo Rennola, Pedro Agranitis, Carolina Rodriguez, Gabriel Urdaneta, Luis Urdaneta and Gerardo Zamora, all from Venezuela.

Cromer said one group of three students, Gonzalez, Nagata and Oliinyk, stayed at the Habitat for Humanity headquarters and painted, while the rest of the group went to a construction worksite and prepared the site for construction.

“We cleaned up the worksite (removing trash, rocks, branches, etc.), filled in the trenches around the house with dirt, filled in the porch with rock and leveled the ground around the worksite. We then loaded the wall frames to go to the construction site the next day.”

“The students had a great time,” Cromer said. “It was hard work, but the Disney tickets were a great motivation.”

Nagata said, “My job was fun! I couldn't paint well at the beginning, but I was getting used to it at last, and it was fun!”

Rodriguez said, “I liked it a lot. It was a great experience. It's great if you can participate in social work in a country different than your own and help people. That makes you realize the other face of the ‘perfect world' that everyone lives in the U.S. There are people in need too.”

Holly Hinson, volunteer coordinator for Habitat for Humanity Metro Louisville, said, “You guys were an awesome group. We sure appreciate your help and we loved working with you.”

 

Campbellsville University international students enjoy their free trip to Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla. Pictured are: in front: Carolina Rodriguez. Second row, from left: Luis Urdaneta, Joel Komena, Ricardo Rennola, Anastasiia Oliinyk, Pedro Agranitis, Yukino Nagata and Elie Bacari. Back row: Lorenzo Anselmi, Emiri Anraku, Gerardo Zamora, Antonio Klie, Andreina Gonzalez, Giselle Hernandez and Gabriel Urdaneta. (Campbellsville University photo by Laura Cromer)

The “Give a Day, Get a Disney Day” promotion ran through March 31, 2010, after reaching its goal of one million volunteers.

Campbellsville University is a private, comprehensive institution located in South Central Kentucky. Founded in 1906, Campbellsville University is affiliated with the Kentucky Baptist Convention and has an enrollment of 3,006 students who represent 97 Kentucky counties, 30 states and 37 foreign nations. Listed in U.S.News & World Report's 2010 “America's Best Colleges,” CU is ranked 23rd in “Best Baccalaureate Colleges” in the South, tied for fifth in “most international students” and fourth in “up-and-coming” schools in baccalaureate colleges in the South. CU has been ranked 17 consecutive years with U.S.News & World Report. The university has also been named to America's Best Christian Colleges® and to G.I. Jobs magazine as a Military Friendly School. Campbellsville University is located 82 miles southwest of Lexington, Ky., and 80 miles southeast of Louisville, Ky. Dr. Michael V. Carter is in his 11th year as president.

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