Jake Stowe spends a typical Saturday in the hot Louisiana sun driving nails, laying sod or many other activities involved with constructing a home for someone in need.Stowe is the project organizer for the University’s chapter of Habitat for Humanity which is hosting “Act Speak Build Week” in conjunction with other collegiate chapters across the country.The group will have displays and activities in Free Speech Alley from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. every day this week except Thursday. The group constructed a display board Monday for people to sign to show their support for fighting poor housing conditions. The group also hosted a kickball game on the Parade Grounds to begin the week of awareness. All of the displays and events this week are meant to interact with students so they can become more informed about substandard housing issues facing people globally as well as in Baton Rouge, said Rebecca Krimmel, Habitat for Humanity’s advocacy chair for the University.”You would be very surprised how many people around the state and around the country that don’t live in adequate housing,” Krimmel said. “Either because they are charged too much or there are too many people in the house they live or [the house] is falling apart.”This week, Habitat for Humanity members are getting out and advocating for students to educate themselves and move them to action in their own community.”The main thing is the message that one person can do a lot, and if you help the situation you can make a difference,” Krimmel said. “Just one person volunteering for a couple of hours can make a huge difference.”The University’s chapter of Habitat for Humanity typically tries to make this difference by sending students to help build houses in the Baton Rouge and New Orleans areas every Saturday in a build season, Stowe said. The Baton Rouge affiliate for Habitat for Humanity assigns University students to a project for a particular weekend. The students will do anything from framing the home to laying down sod or building interior work depending on the stage of the project that particular weekend. The group has about 35 active members, but tries to take 10 to 15 students who may not be active members to build every Saturday. The group will assist with about four different builds each semester.Typically the houses are four-bedroom, two-bath homes with a kitchen and dining room area. Most of the work is done by volunteers, except some skilled tasks requiring people like electricians.”What many people don’t know is that Habitat for Humanity is not just a give away program,” Krimmel said. The people who will own the homes being built by volunteers must also invest in what the group calls “sweat equity”  — 300 to 500 hours of work on their home. The material costs are paid back to Habitat for Humanity at no interest, which makes the home affordable. Habitat for Humanity then invests the money repaid to starting new projects, Krimmel said.”It’s definitely a part of Louisiana’s culture that we are very community oriented people, and I think its important that we try to help people who need our help, and we try to do things for them,” Stowe said.Habitat for Humanity will be sending 20 University students to Immokalee, Fla., during spring break to help construct homes in the area.”You get to build all day and then at night go to the beach and relax,” Krimmel said. “Its a great opportunity, and you get to actually do something with your spring break.”–Contact Xerxes A. Wilson at [email protected]