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Habitat For Humanity Ready To Start Fall Projects

Habitat for Humanity of McLean County is ready to start work on two houses this fall. A groundbreaking ceremony took place at 601 Church Street in Normal on Saturday afternoon. The house is sponsored by collegiate chapter programs of Habitat at both Illinois State University and Illinois Wesleyan University.

Hank Campbell is a volunteer and project director for Habitat. Campbell said he has been working with students on home projects for over 25 years. While it is a learning experience for volunteer students, Campbell said he loves watching families react to a finished home.

"It's really a relief and delight for them. To share in that delight, is something of a dream that they never thought would come true," said Campbell.

Campbell said this is a matter of providing good, wholesome shelter and continuing the mission from Illinois State and Illinois Wesleyan.

The project on Church Street will be the new home for Amalia Orellana and her three children.

Amalia's 20-year-old daughter, Gabriela, said she is very excited to get started on the project. Gabriela said she enjoys how Habitat for Humanity brings people of many backgrounds to work together as one group.

"It doesn't what race you are or where you come from. There is a lot of diversity here and people coming out of their own way to be a part of a community is really diverse," said Orellana.

The Orellana family said they are very thankful to Northside Church of Christ, Mt. Pisgah Baptist and St. John's Lutheran Church of Bloomington for constructing the walls for their home.

The other Habitat project is at 801 W. Jefferson in Bloomington. The house is funded by a three-year collaborative Attorney General's grant as part of Habitat's involvement with the West Bloomington Housing Collaborative. That home will belong to Lambert Luvaluka, his wife Antoinette Kinsombi, and their two children.    

Mike joined GLT's staff as a student reporter in February of 2016 having worked previously as a reporter at Illinois State University's student radio station, 103.3 WZND. He acted as a director for the WZND newsroom for two years. Mike was also seen as a reporter, producer, and anchor at TV-10 News. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in broadcast journalism in May of 2017 before starting his post-graduate career with the Public Affairs Reporting Masters Program at University of Illinois Springfield.
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