Patrick Morrissey/The Hoya Jack Kemp embraces homeowner-to-be Angie Cohen at Saturday’s groundbreaking for the house that Georgetown’s chapter of Habitat for Humanity is sponsoring. The students have raised $70,000.

Georgetown’s Habitat for Humanity chapter broke ground on their first Georgetown-sponsored Habitat home, known as “The House That Jack Built,” on Saturday. To date, the group has raised $71,000, mostly through their weekly doughnut sales, in order to begin construction on the house.

Fifty students gathered at the site, on 54th and Clay Streets, in Northeast D.C., for the ceremonial, ground-breaking culmination of the Georgetown chapter’s five-year effort to raise the required funds to sponsor their own house.

Georgetown’s Habitat chapter is composed of 10 board members, and has a general membership of approximately 300. Every Wednesday, for the past five years, the group has sold Krispy Kreme doughnuts in Red Square, selling close to 70 dozen every week. Additional fundraising has also been accomplished through the sale of Habitat for Humanity T-shirts and a variety of other small endeavors.

In order to sponsor a house, a group is required to have already raised $50,000. Georgetown’s chapter will continue fundraising in order to obtain the required amount of $100,000 needed to complete the home.

“The number of people living in substandard housing is something that needs attention,” Rachel Ryckman (COL ’04), the president of Georgetown’s chapter, said. “It’s fulfilling, you can see results in just one day.”

Ryckman began the day’s festivities by giving a brief history of the Georgetown chapter. She then introduced Daniel Porterfield, Georgetown’s vice president for public affairs and strategic development. Having attended with his family, Porterfield gave a short welcoming, thanking Georgetown’s chapter for their “vision” and commenting that it was an honor to meet the family who will live in the home once it is completed.

Former Congressman and Vice Presidential Candidate Jack Kemp (R-N.Y.) also attended the event. Kemp is chair of a national campaign to raise $500 million by the end of 2005, in order to help build 100,000 more Habitat houses.

“It’s because of people like you all over the country who have done Habitat,” Kemp said. “You’re carrying on the work of Dr. [Martin Luther] King.”

On meeting Ryckman, and hearing about the group’s fundraising efforts, Kemp also immediately offered to donate $1,000.

Last to speak was Angie Cohen, the future homeowner. In an emotional address, Cohen thanked everyone for coming out to the site, and supporting her in this project.

“I thank each and every last one of you from the bottom of my heart,” she said.

Cohen has two daughters, a 9-year-old and a 15-year-old, and works for D.C. public schools. She learned about Habitat for Humanity through a friend, and was approved for a house this past January. She expects to move into her new home by the end of the year, as the homes usually take six to eight months to build.

“It went fast . that was a blessing,” she said. “It’s just great to have people to help you and get together for you . To see a lot of students do this is really touching.”

As a requirement of the program, Cohen and her family must complete 300 hours of “sweat equity,” or time on the house. Even so, Cohen predicts she will enjoy the time spent working on her future home.

“I’m learning a lot . it’s amazing to be here and help build your house,” she said.

She is also currently enrolled in a class for first time home-buyers, to help her learn how to manage her finances and keep her credit straight.

The ceremony was completed with a performance by the Georgetown Phantoms and a symbolic house-building. After being asked to stand in a circle, audience members created four windows and a door with their arms, and “raised the roof” by holding onto four pieces of yellow ribbon which extended out toward the corners of the “house.”

Last year’s Habitat president was then invited to raise the center of the unfinished roof. The ceremony was completed when Cohen, and Jack the Bulldog, entered through the doorframe of the house.

Habitat has “builds” on most Saturdays, and because the Georgetown chapter sponsored this house, Georgetown students will have priority in helping build. The construction is overseen by hired professional contractors, but is done almost entirely by the volunteer builders.

Many students help with the house simply because it’s a way to help the community, while still enjoying themselves.

“It’s important . it’s a lot of fun to be out here,” Nirali Patel (COL ’07), who attended her first build on Saturday, said.

The sentiment of its importance was also expressed by Jessica cKinney (COL ’04), who was part of a group of students who came to the groundbreaking to support their peers.

“Seeing the family was really moving,” she said. “We came out to support the general endeavor. Rachel is doing a very cool job.”